Eleven Days Later
by Shortgirl007
Summary: What happens after the Ten Big Ones?
1. Default Chapter

Eleven Days Later

Prologue

I stepped back and surveyed the damage. Slayerland was no more. Bodies were scattered throughout the street, buildings yielded bullet holes, and the night sky was lit by the red and blue flashing lights of the Trenton City Police cars.

Joe stood off in the distance rubbing his thumb against his temple. It hadn't been a stressful night just for me. Sally was off somewhere retailing the story of his heroic arrival while I sat patiently on the curb waiting for the night to finally come to an end.

Just as I dropped my head between my knees I felt a warm body slide into place beside me. Without looking I knew it was Ranger. From the scent of his skin to his aura of confidence, the man couldn't be denied.

He nudged my knee with his to get my attention.

"You ok babe?" He asked softly.

"Just ducky. But I'd be even better if I could get out of here." I replied.

"What's the hold up?" he questioned.

"They still haven't taken my official report. Joe says he'll get to me when he can."

"Want me to see what I can do?"

"Thanks Ranger, but I created this mess so I should have the decency to see it through to the end."

Ranger dipped his head towards me then reached for his cell phone.

"Tank. Can you take care of Sally's UZI? I'm going to wait on Stephanie. Thanks man."

I smiled up at him and playfully jabbed his knee with my own. "You don't have to wait on me."

"No problem. I don't really have anything else planned. Besides, I figured you would want a ride back to the apartment to get your things." he explained.

"Kicking me out so soon?" I giggled and prayed my laughter would hide the sudden sting of pain in my stomach.

"Just figured you would head back to Morelli's tonight. You know you're welcome to stay at my place as long as you need it."

"That may be a good thing. Steph can I talk to you please?" said Morelli as he approached us from behind.

By the scowl on his face and the bulge of the vein in his forehead I could tell this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

When we were finally out of everyone's earshot, Joe locked his eyes on mine. "I don't want to start a fight Stephanie but this was the final straw for me. I nearly killed myself trying to get here tonight. I know you don't want to change for me and it's not far that I keep asking. Let's just cut our losses and go our separate ways."

I can't say his words didn't make sense, but that still didn't prevent them from hurting. But if Joe could be mature about this so could I.

"You're right Joe, I'm just sorry it had to end like this."

"Me too cupcake, but I'm sure it's for the best in the long run. Now, are you ready to give your statement?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I said as I shoved my hands into my back pockets. I recounted the events of the night for hopefully the last time. Joe took down every word I said and kept the cringing to a minimum. When I was finished he flipped his book closed, kissed me on the cheek and sent me on my way.

Ranger was still waiting for me on the curb. I went back to him and kicked his boot with my shoe.

"Well roomy, looks like I'm all yours. Mind if I take you up on the apartment thing for a few more nights?"

"Sure thing babe. Ready to go?"

"Yup. They're finally done with me."

Ranger stood, placed his hand on the small of my back and maneuvered me to his car. We rode the way back to his apartment in our usual silence and thankfully Ranger refrained from asking me any questions about the night's events.

Back at his apartment, I quickly made up my bed on the couch and dug under the covers for a long nights sleep. Ranger made his way to the kitchen for a last drink of water. On his way back to the bedroom he stopped by the couch. He mindless looped one of my curls around his finger and whispered, "need anything, you know where I'm at."

"Thanks Ranger." I mumbled.

"Anytime."

By the time the bedroom door clicked shut I was well on my way to dreamland.

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To be continued…


	2. 01

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"Thanks Ranger." I mumbled.

"Anytime."

By the time the bedroom door clicked shut I was well on my way to dreamland.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 1

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Eleven Days Later…

I woke up with an overwhelming feeling of dread. I could no longer think of a reason to put off the inevitable. I was in the middle of a full body stretch on the couch when Ranger made his way through the living room.

He was still adjusting his watch when he spoke. "I'll be back by five so you have all day to get your stuff gathered up. I thought we could grab Pino's takeout and eat at your place."

"Sounds good Ranger. Thanks again for letting me stay here as long as you have."

"No sweat. It was actually nice having you here." He stopped talking and stared at me. The room filled with all the words left unspoken.

During the last two weeks, Ranger and I had settled into a pretty familiar routine. He hit the shower first in the morning then I would take my turn. We would go our separate ways for the day, but by 6:00 we would both be back at the apartment. Most nights we just had Ella bring up some food but a few times we went to Rossini's for a late dinner.

Despite spending more time together than we ever had in the past, it seemed that we both worked hard to put more distance between each other. There were no kisses against the wall, there were no soft embraces or gentle caresses. The sexual tension was still alive and well, but we both backed into our corners and only eyed each other from across the room.

I don't know what Ranger's reasons were for his distance, but I new exactly what I was doing. Or should I say I knew exactly what I wasn't doing. It was hard enough to live in the confined space of Ranger's world, temptation was all around. I knew the minute I allowed myself to cross that invisible line I wouldn't be able to stop.

I had spent several sleepless nights tossing and turning on the couch. I had found a new sense of willpower when I managed to keep myself from sliding into bed next to him.

I no longer had Joe to use as an excuse. I was officially a single woman with no ties, and no reasons to feel guilty for acting on impulse. So why didn't I just go through with it? Why didn't I just cave to the temptation and allow myself to be swept up in it? One reason. Fear.

I was scared of being rejected. I was scared of getting hurt. I was scared of what he would say the next morning. There were too many ways it could turn out horribly. So I used my fear as another excuse to keep my hands to myself.

"Later babe." Ranger said as he grabbed his keys and angled through the door.

"See ya Ranger." I said to an empty room.

Just as I was about to settle in for a nap I heard the door open. I glanced up and saw the familiar face of Ella.

"Oh Stephanie, good morning. I didn't realize you were still here." she said

"Yup, just getting ready to hit the shower and start the day." I lied.

"Well I'll just start in the kitchen and do the bathroom last so you can get ready. Do you have any laundry you need me to do?"

"No thanks Ella. I'm returning to my apartment tonight so I guess it's time I start doing my own laundry again." I tried to laugh to make the moment lighter than it actually was.

"Oh dear. I had hoped you would be staying with us awhile longer. I so enjoy having you here." she said.

"And I enjoyed being here, but there's no reason for me to stay. It's time I get my life back to normal."

Ella smiled, "Normal is so overrated and if you ask me I could think of one really good reason for you to stay."

I felt my face blush 12 shades of red, so in an attempt to avoid the path of the conversation I quickly gathered up my blanket and made my way towards the bathroom.

It was exactly 5:00 when Ranger strolled back through the apartment. I was in the bedroom putting the last of my belongings in my bag when I heard him approach.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Crappy with a side of shitty."

I smiled, "That good huh?"

"Yup. Just let me change clothes real quick and we'll be on our way."

"Ok." I said as I zipped my bag closed. I waited on the couch while he changed. I looked around the apartment and thought of all the warm memories it would hold for me. This was the first place Ranger told me he loved me. This was the place that kept me safe when I had feared for my life. But mostly, this was the first place I got to peak into the private life of Ricardo Manaso. Somehow I knew that would always be the most important memory of all.

When we arrived at my apartment I threw the bag into the bedroom and tried to forget that I was home. Don't get me wrong, I love my apartment. But after returning it felt empty. The realization that I would once again be coming home to an empty apartment every night really started to get to me. I tried to shrug off my bad mood and joined Ranger in the kitchen where he was busy piling Pino's takeout onto plates.

We ate in relative silence on the couch. We commented briefly on the great taste of the food or the silliness of the show on TV, but neither of us were willing to address the real issue at hand.

When we had both cleared our plates, I gathered them up and headed towards the kitchen. Ranger followed close behind carrying our empty glasses.

"Want some wine?" I asked, trying my best to think of reasons to get him to stay.

"Nah. I better get going, I've got an early morning tomorrow."

"Ok." I said, trying to hide my disappointment.

Neither of us moved. He stayed on one end of the kitchen and I on the other. Our eyes shifted uncomfortably up and down each other, until finally they met. Time seemed to stop as we stared, both trying to read the thoughts of the other.

When the tension built to it's ultimate climax we both relented. Ranger took two steps toward me and I towards him. We came together in a clash of emotion. My hands found their home on the sides of his face, pulling him closer to me for a passionate kiss. His hands started on my back but quickly found their way to my ass.

He gripped me through my jeans pulling my groin towards his. He cupped my butt and with a rough tug pulled me off the ground. I instinctively locked my legs around his waist causing a moan to slip from his lips.

I pulled away from him just long enough to whisper, "bed".

He immediately devoured my mouth again while maneuvering us towards the bedroom. I could feel him kicking his shoes off as we went. Our lips never broke while my hands pulled and tugged at his shirt.

Ranger stopped in the doorway of the bedroom and rammed me against the door. My breath caught in my throat but his tongue put me back on course.

His hands were all over me but somehow I wasn't satisfied. I nearly lost all sense when I felt him pull my tank top out of my jeans. We broke apart only long enough for us both to loose our shirts. When we were pressed together once again he walked us towards the bed, stopping when his knees hit the edge of the mattress. He grabbed my legs and pealed them from his body. When I was free he tossed me backwards on the bed where I finally came to rest with a bounce.

The room was filled with the sounds of our heavy breathing. I lay before him on my back, my chest covered only by the thin material of my lacy bra. He fell forward on the bed until he was straddling my leg between his knees.

His face was full of heat and lust. He reached down and unbuttoned my jeans with one hand while the other hand gripped my bra and yanked it to shreds. Within seconds, he pulled my jeans to the floor and ripped my panties in the same fate as my bra.

I laid before him completely exposed, legs spread slightly with my desire for him evident. I tried to speak, to tell him what I wanted, where I wanted to be touched and how. But nothing would come out, no sounds other than a moan would escape my lips.

Watching my struggle, his lips curved into a smile as he stepped back off the bed to remove his jeans. When he was as naked as I, he quickly fell on top of me. His mouth explored my own briefly before moving to my neck, my chest, then my stomach.

As his tongue circled my belly button while his hands teased and tugged at my nipples. They became hard nubs as sharp pangs of desire rolled through my body.

When his lips began moving south, my hands gripped his head. I let his silky hair twirl between my fingers and when his tongue hit the right stop, my body jerked to attention. My fingers were no longer gentle, instead they pulled and yanked his hair in an attempt to beg for mercy.

He didn't let up and he didn't ease. He simply pushed forward, licking and stroking my clit with fierce determination. When my breathing began to quicken he slide two fingers inside of me, opening the gates to my orgasm. It rolled over me in waves, starting at my toes and working up to my head then going back down and settling between my legs.

I panted and moaned and screamed until my body was exhausted. Ranger licked me the entire time, causing his oral torture to continue until my body was numb from the sensations.

When I finally relaxed, Ranger made his slow ascent back up my body. When his tongue lingered on one spot long enough to cause my back to rise from the mattress he would quickly move on to the next spot.

When his mouth found mine once again his arms slide underneath me. He embraced me and I could feel his desire in every inch of skin touching my own. With one more kiss, he rolled us over and placed me gently across his body. I pushed away from him and sat up to get a better look at the man before me.

His hair was disheveled and his dark chest was covered with droplets of sweat. Already he was panting and he had done nothing but touch me. I figured I would ease his tension and began my own form of torture.

I shifted down his body until our hips met. I felt him thrust against me, but I pulled away to keep the contact to a minimum. I wanted to make him beg just as he had made me. I didn't form the words, but he had read my body as if it were his favorite book. He answered my shivers and shakes with the exact right moves and I hoped to do the same for him.

I continued to slide down his body until my breasts were sliding against his thighs. I looked into his eyes as I took his hardness in my mouth. He immediately bucked off the bed, causing his cock to slide further against my tongue. For a moment he held a breath, then when I released him from my lips he let the air back out. I licked a gentle stroke back up his shaft then placed the head of his cock between my lips, giving him the smallest of kisses. He drew in a breath again and when he released it he panted, "God babe, you have to stop."

I smiled at him and finally gave him a break. I crawled back up his body, allowing my tongue to lead the attack. I placed myself over his crotch and reached down to guide him into place.

We both moaned with pleasure as he sank deep inside of me. I ground my hips against him and then quickly fell into a steady rhythm. I bounced on top of him as his hands came up to grasp my breasts. He kneaded them with his fists as I leaned backwards to shift him into me further. Ranger met me thrust for thrust and pant for pant. When I didn't think I could take the pressure any longer, he sat up meeting me chest to chest. He wrapped his thick arms around my body and I let my legs slide around his waist.

His mouth licked and bit at my neck while he pulled me close. I continued to bounce in his lap until his hands found my hair and pulled my head back. He licked the soft spot under my chin and then buried his head in my shoulder when his orgasm finally shuttered through him.

Ranger whispered, "Christ" in my ear as the final shocks of ecstasy ripped through him. We collapsed into a pile on the bed. His arms tangled in mine with my legs draped across his body.

We both continued to pant until we each fell asleep.

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To be continued…


	3. 02

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Ranger whispered, "Christ" in my ear as the final shocks of ecstasy ripped through him. We collapsed into a pile on the bed. His arms tangled in mine with my legs draped across his body.

We both continued to pant until we each fell asleep.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 2

I woke up the next morning with the same feeling of dread as the day before. It was the morning-after my night with Ranger. I cringed at the memories of our last morning-after experience. It hadn't been pretty and it hadn't felt good.

I rolled over slowly in the bed, tangled in the sheet, and felt a slight wave of relief roll over me when I realized I was alone. I told myself that as long as I was alone, then he couldn't say something stupid and the amazing feelings left over from last night.

As I gathered myself out of bed I noticed a note on the nightstand. There was only one letter on the outside. 'S'. Figuring that ruled out Rex, I grabbed the paper and ripped it open.

****

Sorry I had to go, early morning meeting I couldn't miss. See you around 8:00 tonight, I'll bring Chinese.

R

I read the note again. And then again, and for good measure once more. There were no instructions for me to return to Joe. There was nothing about him not doing relationships, and even more odd, there were arrangements to get together later that night. Maybe the note wasn't from Ranger? Maybe Rex had sprouted arms during the night and had miraculously gained the ability to write.

Ok, so that probably wasn't a real possibility. But would that scenario seriously be any less likely than Batman himself writing a note like that?

I contemplated the note for 30 more minutes then finally dragged myself to the shower.

Around 7:30 that night I was curled under a blanket on the couch when I heard the locks on the door tumble open. My stomach immediately began doing flip-flops and I tried to convince myself that it was simply hunger pangs.

"Foods here." said Ranger as he walked through the door carrying two steaming bags of takeout.

"Yummy. Smells delicious. Did you buy the whole menu?"

Ranger laughed, "Just about. Today isn't a 'temple' day and I love Chinese food. I wanted to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" I asked.

"In case something happens and I need to replenish some energy."

That was all it took. The bags were tossed on the table, the blanket was thrown to the back of the couch and the two heaping masses of our bodies were soon rolling around on the floor.

Ranger's foot hit one of the dining room tables and caused it to overturn. He grabbed the foot of the coffee table and gave it a firm shove, clearing us a path. We continued to fight for position. I was on top, then he would flip me and pin me to the ground. When I shoved my hand down his pants and grabbed his cock, his strength weakened and I once again took the dominate stance.

"You cheat." panted Ranger.

"Maybe, but at least I always win." I cooed back at him.

"Actually babe, I think we're both about to be winners."

And then, we were.

45 minutes later, laying in the floor among our scattered clothing Ranger and I enjoyed a picnic of Chinese takeout.

"Pass the fried rice." asked Ranger.

After handing him the carton, I asked in return "Are there any more of those wantons?"

Ranger looked around then shook his head. "Nope, I think I just had the last one."

"Sheesh. You could have saved me one."

"Me! What about you? I only had two. There were six, so it's obvious who should have been saving some."

I crossed my arms in mock anger and tried to prevent the inevitable smile from spreading across my face.

Ranger tilted his head back and laugh. "That's ok, next time I'll get two orders. That way neither of us will have to share."

I felt my face immediately soften. I wasn't sure what to make of this new behavior from Ranger. He obviously thought this would be happening again and he seemed pretty relaxed about it, so I told myself that I could do the same.

"Deep thoughts babe?" Ranger asked after I had stayed quiet a little too long.

I recovered quickly, "Just wonder what you brought for dessert?"

Ranger's sexy wolf grin quickly appeared. "I assumed you would be in charge of dessert."

Gulp. So I didn't recover quiet as quickly that time, but I did give it my best try. "Oh really? Well, I guess you will just have to wait and see what I offer you."

I lifted myself from the floor and sauntered towards the kitchen, putting an extra ounce of sway in my hips. When I turned back around, I realized Ranger was also on his feet.

"Who said I needed to wait for you to offer?" he teased.

My body gave off a small tremor of anticipation. "Oh yeah Manaso? Well I guess you will just have to catch me first."

Ranger reached back and pulled his hair loose from the ponytail and shook it out until it fell gently across his shoulders. As his eyes darkened, he took a step towards me and said. "Well then, let the games begin."

I made a rush for the bedroom, squealing in delight the entire way.

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Eleven Days Later

After nearly two weeks of spending every night with Ranger I was beginning to feel pretty cocky. Great sex will do that for you. And great sex with a Cuban hunk of man-meat will lift your self-esteem to off the chart proportions.

We hadn't stopped to discuss what was going on between us, instead we just did it. Somehow, one of us would invite ourselves over to the others place and the next morning it was just a given that a repeat performance wouldn't be far behind. So when I woke up in my bed this morning, I smiled when I noticed another one of his notes on the nightstand.

****

S,

About time you got up babe. Sorry I had to run this morning but Tank called and needed help with a takedown. The day should be pretty light so I thought I'd stop by your place around 6:00. Call me if that doesn't work.

****

R

I smiled to myself and thought about exactly how good that would work.

I did a full body stretch then finally rolled out of bed. I threw on a shirt and padded into the kitchen. I was surprised when I noticed a second note on the counter.

****

The temple is taking the day off. Donuts and coffee in the microwave.

****

R

I laughed out loud then proceeded to heat up the coffee and gooey pastry. While I waited, I grabbed the phone and dialed his number. He didn't answer so I left a message on his voicemail.

"Yo Ranger, just wanted to thank you for the coffee and donuts. 6:00 sounds good to me so see you tonight."

Feeling extra happy, I decided to treat myself to a day off. After calling into the office and explaining to both Lula and Connie that everything was fine I decided to straighten up the apartment.

At 3:00 that afternoon I was barely able to hear my phone ringing over the stereo. I muted the sound and lunged to grab it in time.

"Hello?" I practically yelled.

"Yo babe." I could hear the weariness in his voice.

"Hey Ranger, what's up?"

"Change of plans. I'm in New York. Tank's takedown went badly this morning and we've been chasing this fool all over the damn place. We finally caught him about thirty minutes ago but now we're stuck here at the police station waiting to get permission to bring him back to Jersey."

"Well that sucks." Feeling my mood deflate slightly.

"Tell me about it. I just wanted you to know that I won't be getting back in town until pretty late so I doubt I'll stop by." I could practically hear the disappointment dripping from his voice.

"That's ok." I said while hoping my disappointment wasn't as obvious as his.

"Babe, I've got to go. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Ok Ranger. Be safe."

"You too." he replied just as he disconnected.

"Well damn." I said to the empty apartment.

I walked over to the couch and prepared for a night of self-pity. I grabbed the remote and clicked the TV to life. After channel surfing for awhile, I stopped on Oprah. Normally I'm not a fan of psychobabble and I was just about to flip channels again when she said something that caught my attention.

"…make it happen. That's what I told myself right before my last diet. I said, 'Oprah, you just need to do it. Nobody's going to loose weight for you, so you better buck up and make it happen'."

Hmmm. Maybe Oprah was pretty smart after all. I turned the TV off and ran for the shower.

It was after 11:00 when I finally heard his apartment door open. I glanced around the room one last time and felt confidant that everything was in place.

Ranger walked through the door a few minutes later, carrying the note I had taped to the outside of his door. He stopped and leaned against the doorjamb.

"So give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot?" he laughed. I had written only one thing on the note. "Don't shoot."

I laughed as well and slowly slide from the bed where I was positioned. I walked across the room to him and took him by the hand. "Because Mr. Manaso, I'm about to be very, very good to you."

His eyebrow rose slowly as he gave me a questioning look. "Oh really?"

"Yes really." I said in my sexiest voice. "Now be quiet and follow me."

He did as he was told and allowed me to led him through the bedroom and into the bathroom. I had scattered candles all around the room and we both stood in the flickering light looking at one another. He moved forward as if to kiss me, but I stepped away just in time. "Nuh huh. Not yet. You are too stressed to do anything properly, so I'm going to get you relaxed first."

Ranger let a smile cross his lips as he watched me move to the large tub and begin filling it with water.

When the tub was nearly full, I began to undress him. I slowly unbuttoned his shirt, pausing at each hole to kiss the newly exposed skin. When I had reached the last button, I let my fingers work their way back up his chest. The shirt fell smoothly off his shoulders as I nudged it with my lips.

I took his nipple in my mouth as I began to unbutton his pants. I rolled the top of it between my teeth when I let my hand push his pants to the floor.

Almost instinctively, Ranger placed his hands on my shoulders and began pushing me towards the floor. I backed away and smiled at him. "Something you want me to do?" I laughed.

"Are you being a tease Stephanie?" he growled with desire.

"Maybe. What would you do about it if I were?" I countered.

Ranger dropped his head and laughed. "Nothing babe, nothing at all."

I took his hand again and lead him to the tub. I stood back and watched as his body slowly lowered into the water. When he was completely submerged he held his hand out to me to join him.

"Nope Ranger. This is just for you. Just lay there and relax. I'll be right back." Then I quickly slipped out the bathroom door.

I rushed around the bedroom lighting all the candles I had arranged earlier. When the lotion was warming in a bowl of hot water I quickly undressed then slipped back through the bathroom door.

Ranger was laying in the tub with his head tilted back. He looked so peaceful I almost thought he was asleep.

"Are you finally going to join me?" he asked when he heard me enter.

"Not exactly. I'm just here to make sure you reach all the important spots."

This got his attention. He opened his eyes and let them travel the length of my naked body. "God babe, you look good."

I walked over to the side of the tub and took a seat. I reached across and grabbed a washcloth and a bar of soap. After I had sufficient lather working, I began to caress his shoulders with the cloth. After a moment of silence, Ranger grabbed my fist and looked me straight in the eyes. "Why are you doing this Steph?"

"Because I could hear the stress in your voice this morning. I just figured I could do something to help relieve a little of it."

He took my answer in stride, released my hand then slide back down into the water.

I ran the cloth across his chest, across his stomach, down his legs, around his feet and then back up his legs. He moaned with delight when I let the cloth skim across his erection.

I tossed the cloth aside and grabbed the bar of soap. I followed the same path as I ran the soap across his skin applying just enough pressure to feel like a massage. On the path back up his legs, I stopped at his groin. I reached down and cupped his balls in one hand while the other hand stroked the soap up and down his shaft.

I squeezed his balls a little harder and his legs jerked in reaction. I smiled briefly as I looked up at his face. His head was thrown back, his eyes shut, and the warmest smile was spread across his lips.

I continued to work the soap up and down his shaft, causing the lather to build and build until his cock was completely white from the suds. When I dropped the soap between the crack just below his balls he thrust forward in my hand. I gripped him tighter and pumped faster as his orgasm shot through his body.

Water splashed across the wall of the tub and into my lap as he writhed in pleasure. "Fuck yes." slipped from his mouth as I continued to stroke his rigid shaft.

When his body finally came to rest he began to laugh. Our eyes met, "God babe, that was the best bath I've ever had."

I laughed too, not because he was funny, but because for the first time I felt completely responsible for his happiness.

I grabbed his hand as he stepped out of the tub and into the big fluffy towel I was holding. I lead him back into the bedroom and pushed him down on the bed. When he went to grab my hips I pulled away from him.

"Your turn babe." he explained.

"Nope. Tonight's about you. You can return the favor sometime, but right now I want you to roll over on your stomach."

Ranger smiled and did as I asked but not before discarding the towel in the floor. When he was settled I reached for the lotion and poured some on his back. Her jerked when it first made contact with his skin.

"Mmmm, that's warm." he cooed.

"Yup, now shut up and let me get you relaxed."

Ranger rumbled in laughter as I straddled his body and took a seat on his ass. I leaned forward and put my weight into the warm lotion massage. I let my knuckles outline his spine, then cross over from one shoulder blade to the next. I opened my hands and let me fingers dig into his tense muscles. I felt his whole body start to wither as I worked out the knots.

When I was done with his back I stood off to the side of the bed and gave his legs the same treatment. I took my time as I ran my hands across the smooth muscles of his thighs. His skins was still glistening from the bath, and it took all my willpower not to stop and lick him dry.

After several minutes of the leg massage I asked, "Do you feel relaxed now?"

He couldn't speak. He merely shook his head to nod yes. I laughed then asked him if he had the energy to roll over onto his back. He nodded again, and slowly rolled onto the center of the bed.

His eyes remained shut as I crawled on top of him, straddling his cock. I moved him into position then slowly lowered myself over his erection. I leaned down and put my lips near his ear, "I don't want you to do a thing Ranger. I'll do all the work, you just lay here and enjoy it."

He mumbled an incoherent 'ok' and allowed me to do my thing.

I rocked slowly at first then occasional switched speeds and went a little faster. I let my fingers tug his nipples while I rode him.

When I dropped further, forcing him to go deeper my nails dug into his skin. He placed his hands on my hips and let his hands press into my flesh. We both clawed and rubbed at one another in an attempt to reach climax. And when we finally did, we did it with such force and magnitude that we both went lightheaded.

His handprints remained on my hips long after our lovemaking was over as did my nail marks on his chest.

When his breathing was finally back to normal he looked down at me draped across his chest. After a kiss to the top of the head he whispered, "Thank you babe."

I rolled my head over and gave his chest one final kiss. "Anytime Ranger."

Then wrapped in his arms, I feel asleep on his chest.

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To be continued…


	4. 03

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When his breathing was finally back to normal he looked down at me draped across his chest. After a kiss to the top of the head he whispered, "Thank you babe."

I rolled my head over and gave his chest one final kiss. "Anytime Ranger."

Then wrapped in his arms, I feel asleep on his chest.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 3

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Eleven days later…

I woke up cradled in the warm arms of Ranger. It had been nearly two weeks since I had surprised him at his apartment with a night of pampering. Since, he had spent nearly every night trying to repay the favor. Last night I had arrived home to find hot Pino's pizza, cold beer, the taped Ranger's game and a homemade chocolate cake courtesy of Ella. Ranger was on my couch watching TV, all-in-all, not a bad sight to come home to. Most nights were spent at my apartment, but sometimes we opted for a change of scenery and ended up at his place.

We still hadn't had the 'discussion' about what exactly was going on between us, but I tried not to dwell on that too much. Things just felt so good between us that it was hard not to get swept up in the excitement of it all. Great sex for 22 nights in a row with an occasional session of afternoon delight thrown into the mix was pretty much the recipe to forget any problem.

Sex wasn't all that was going on. Everyday I seemed to learn something new about the mysterious man in black. Take last night for instance. We had met up at his apartment and after a delicious dinner from Ella we made love for hours on his silky sheets. When we finished it wasn't even dark outside so I opted to take a long soak in his tub. He had some work to do, so I ventured into the bath all alone. An hour and several new wrinkles later, I had emerged from the bathroom and come face to face with the last thing I was expecting.

"Ranger?"

"Yeah babe."

"You're wearing glasses."

He peered at me over the top of a laptop, shook his head then continued to work.

"Since when do you wear glasses?" I asked.

"Since I was in the 8th grade. They're only for reading though so I don't have to wear them very often." He explained.

I made my way back over to the bed, pulled the covers back and curled into his side. He kept plucking away at the keyboard and barely acknowledged my return.

"What other secrets are you hiding?" I joked in an effort to get his attention.

"Babe." Was the only thing he said.

I fell asleep not long after that, only to be woken up in the middle of the night for one more round of mind-blowing sex.

And that's how I found myself waking up in the warmth of his arms. I rolled over slowly and watched him sleep. He seemed so peaceful. During the first couple of nights we spent together he woke up nearly every time I moved, but now he seemed to be use to me. I could even get out of bed for a midnight snack without disturbing him.

"Morning babe." He said before even opening his eyes.

"Morning."

"You're staring." He added.

"Maybe."

"Stop, you'll make me self-conscience." He smiled.

I laughed. "Yeah right. Nothing would make you self-conscience. So if you want me to stop staring you'll have to make me yourself."

Ranger loved a challenge and who said I couldn't be motivating?

His eyes were open in a split second. He scooped my up in his arms, flipped me over and pinned me against the mattress.

"Want to play that way this morning do ya?" He teased.

"What have you got in mind big boy."

"First, don't call me big boy. And secondly, this is what I have in mind." He quickly released my arms and immediately placed his hands on my belly. He started slowly then quickly began to tickle the daylights out of me.

"No! Stop… ti…tickling…me.. No…" I laughed so hard I could barely catch my breath.

"Say uncle Steph. Say it and I'll stop." He said as he continued his tickling torture.

"Oh god.. I'm going to…. Pee…. if….you….don't…stop!" I panted out.

"Then say it Steph. Just say uncle." He teased.

"Fine, Uncle! Uncle dammit!" I yelled.

Ranger released me then rolled over on his back in a fit of laughter.

"Bastard." I mumbled as I jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom just in time.

When I returned he was still laughing. When I rejoined him in bed I tried my best to pout, but the look on his face melted every bone in my body so it was hard to stay angry. "It's not fair. You're not ticklish, so I have no way to get to you." I whined.

Ranger pulled me close and settled me back against his body. "Trust me babe, you get to me plenty of ways."

The next time I woke up it was nearly noon. Thank goodness it was Sunday and I didn't have to work. I crawled out of the empty bed, tossed on one of Ranger's t-shirts and made my way into his living room. I saw him standing by the refrigerator and I immediately went up behind him. He was wearing nothing but a pair of sweats so I let me fingers slide across his smooth skin as my lips made contact with his shoulder blades.

The moment I touched him, I felt his body tense. It didn't take me long to figure out why.

"Ahem. Are we interrupting?" said a deep voice behind me.

I turned around and came face to face with Tank and several other Rangeman employees.

"Um.. I, um.. no. I was just getting, um, some coffee." I stammered.

When I finished babbling I quickly ran back into the bedroom and threw myself on top of the bed. "Shit, shit, shit." I said into the pillow.

"It's ok babe." Ranger said from behind me.

I flipped over and realized that Ranger had followed my mad dash from the kitchen. I could feel the heat on my face and I could only imagine how red I was. "God, I'm so sorry. I had no idea they were here."

Ranger walked to the bed and took a seat beside me. "It's ok, it was bound to happen I guess. I had totally forgotten that we had a meeting here today. I was just on my way to the kitchen when they knocked. I was going to make you some eggs, but I guess that plan has been derailed."

"Thanks anyway." I said.

"I need to change clothes then get back out there, are you going to be ok?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm embarrassed but I'll be fine. I'll just change clothes and sneak out the door, I need to be getting home anyway."

"You sure babe? You're welcome to stay here."

"I appreciate that, but I need to run by my parents house. I haven't seen them in weeks." I explained.

"We have sorta been taking up a lot of each other's time haven't we?" He said as he stared at his feet.

"Yeah, I guess we have. Do you regret it?" I asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"Not at all. I've had a blast these last couple of weeks. What about you? Regrets?" He asked.

"Other than my little peepshow for the guys, nope. No regrets from me."

Ranger picked up my hand and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of my wrist. "Good. I'm glad to hear it. But maybe we should take a night off and get some stuff done."

I smiled, "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"Then it's settled. Tonight we take care of business and tomorrow night we make up for tonight."

I laughed, "Sounds like a perfect plan."

__

To be continued…


	5. 04

"Then it's settled. Tonight we take care of business and tomorrow night we make up for tonight."

I laughed, "Sounds like a perfect plan."

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 4

After dinner with my parents, a thorough cleaning job on the apartment, and emptying Rex's cage twice I was bored senseless. I glanced at the clock and it was only 7:00pm, way too early to go to bed. I searched the living room for something to do but everything was done. My bills were paid, the dust bunnies were dead and I was still hopelessly bored.

I settled on the couch, flipped on the TV and grabbed the telephone. First I tried calling Mary Lou. From what I could make out over the screaming in the background, she was too busy to talk. Apparently someone had something stuck in some body part. That didn't sound like a story I needed to know about further so I quickly let her go.

Next I tried Lula. She didn't answer and according to her answering machine she was out on some hot date. I left a message for her to call me then tried Connie. A deep-voiced member of her family answered the phone. He sounded Italian, muscular, and extremely well _connected_. He informed me that Connie was unavailable and asked if he could take a message. Not wanting to give him my name (hey, he sounded scary) I told him that I would just call her back later.

Resolving not to call Ranger because of our "night off" agreement, I flipped through the TV until I came across Ghostbusters.

Ten minutes into my all time favorite movie I realized that I was doomed. For the first time in my life, I couldn't have cared less about Ghostbusters. I figured this was a sign of severe stress and thought he would surely be understanding to the circumstances. I shut off the TV, jumped off the couch and ran to the bedroom to change clothes. I choose jeans and a t-shirt because they looked easy to disrobe. After all, I was now a woman on a mission.

Once I was dressed, I raced around the apartment grabbing my keys and purse and headed out, but as soon as I swung the door open I froze. Coming down the hallway towards my apartment, with a duffle bag in one hand and a laptop in the other was Ranger.

He raised his eyes to mine and smiled. When he was a foot in front of me he stopped and said, "Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be in the neighborhood?"

The heat immediately raided my body so I answered him. "Right now, I'd pretty much believe anything you said."

Ranger took a giant step forward causing his body to bump mine until I was back inside the apartment. He dropped the duffle bag on the floor, laid the laptop on the counter then scooped me up in his arms. He gazed into my eyes as he gently carried me into the bedroom and arranged me comfortably on the bed.

When the pillows were fluffed, Ranger took a step back and slowly began to undress. Desire seemed to drip from his skin as he made achingly slow movements to discard his clothing. Each button was undone in slow motion, so that I wouldn't miss one second of the show.

When he finally tossed his shirt to the floor, I could see his chest rise and fall with his breath. He was hanging on to his control by a single thread wound so tight it had the potential to snap at any moment.

As he reached down to begin the slow dance to remove his pants he whispered, "Undress for me." His voice was thick and so full of lust it was shaky.

I did as he asked and matched his movements, dragging out the tease for as long as I could manage. His eyes raked over my body causing warm waves to wash through me. His stare no longer scared me, nor did it embarrass me. Now, it simply empowered me. One look from this man and I suddenly felt more comfortable in my own skin. Gone were all the imperfections I frowned at in the mirror. In this moment, I felt more beautiful than the prettiest woman in the world. I felt more confidant than any King, and more powerful than any nation.

I was no longer just Stephanie Plum. In this bed, before this man, I was his. I belonged to him, and him to me. Here between these sheets, we were one.

Ranger took a step toward the bed then reached down, grabbed my legs and yanked me to him. His knees rested against the side of the bed as his hands slid to my feet, causing my legs to slowly part. When they rested against his arms beneath his shoulders, he slid into me.

My arms stretched out beside me and my fingers gripped the bedspread for support. My nails dug into the cloth as Ranger began to thrust slowly into me. All the way out, then completely back in. A slow, torturous ache swelled in my belly and when his hands found my breasts the ache spread to my head.

I panted for air and tried to speak. I wanted to tell him to never stop what he was doing, but the words wouldn't come out. I begged him with my eyes, hoping he would understand. And when he looked at me and whispered, "Oh God." I knew he had heard me somehow. I knew that no matter what, this man wouldn't stop until I was utterly and completely satisfied.

He leaned forward slightly and drove his cock deeper inside. A gasp of air escaped from my lungs and the sensations became too much. My eyes filled with tears. Not tears of pain or sadness, but the kind of tears you shed when you reach such a point of ecstasy you don't think you will be able to survive the fierceness of it.

When Ranger caught sight of the tears he spread my legs wider so he could lean his body into mine. He continued to pump in and out of me while his lips made contact with my neck. He licked and kissed the soft skin below my ear, then stopped to say, "I know babe, I know."

As if his words were permission, I was sent over the edge. I threw my arms around his back and let my fingers dig into his flesh. As I moaned and grunted my body bucked against his, sending him into his own spiraling whirl of pleasure.

We came together with our sweat soaked bodies arching and bending into one piece of writhing skin. We clung to one another until our breathing returned to normal.

When he had recovered enough, Ranger rolled onto the bed, wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. We laid in silence for a few minutes enjoying the bliss of the moment.

As soon as all of our senses had returned, Ranger rolled me over to meet him face to face.

"It's time we stop kidding ourselves babe."

"What do you mean?"

"You and I both know that this is bigger than the both of us. This morning was merely the start of what's about to happen."

I curled into his chest and rested my head against his shoulder. "And just what is about to happen Ranger?"

After placing a kiss to the top of my head he answered, "We're about to come out to the world as a couple."

Unable to resist the chance I said, "We're a couple?"

I could feel the smile spread across his face. "Don't make me tickle you again babe."

Tossing my head back to laugh I said, "I wouldn't dare."

__

To Be Continued…


	6. 05

After placing a kiss to the top of my head he answered, "We're about to come out to the world as a couple."

Unable to resist the chance I said, "We're a couple?"

I could feel the smile spread across his face. "Don't make me tickle you again babe."

Tossing my head back to laugh I said, "I wouldn't dare."

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 5

The next morning came quicker than I had expected. The night tends to fly by when you're having fun, especially when it's Ranger's idea of fun. We had talked and laughed, kissed and teased and made love until the wee hours of the morning. We both collapsed from exhaustion around 4am. It had been one hell of a night, and that meant it was going to be one hell of a morning.

When I finally pried my eyes open I found myself looking directly into Ranger's armpit. Sometime during our brief sleep, I had wedged myself against his side with my head tucked as close to him as possible. I lifted my head, pushed against the mattress and flung myself out of bed, instantly landing on my ass.

I was trying to convince my muscles to cooperate long enough to haul myself out of the floor when I noticed Ranger peering at me over the side of the bed.

"Babe."

"What Ranger?"

"Need some help?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to get limber that's all."

Ranger rolled back over on his back and watched me as I struggled to my feet. With a shaky sense of balance I proceeded to make my way to the bathroom. Every muscle in my body ached from the prior night's activities causing me to have to walk humped over just to make it to the other side of the room.

Ranger roared with laughter, "What's the matter Steph?"

"Shove it Ranger. You fucked me twelve ways to Sunday last night and I can hardly move!"

"I didn't hear any complaints last night?" He countered.

"That's because every time I tried to say anything you shoved something else in my mouth." I cringed as soon as the words had left my mouth. What was I doing? What in the world possessed me to bait Batman?"

Two seconds later, I knew exactly why I had done it.

When Ranger finally pulled his lips from mine he scooped me up and placed me into the bath tub. After running the water, scrubbing my back and rinsing my hair he sauntered into the kitchen to make some coffee. After watching his tight ass leave the room, I slid deeper into the tub and quickly began thanking my lucky stars.

Thirty minutes later I emerged from the bathroom a new woman or at least a woman that could walk upright. I had tossed on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt along with some sneakers and made my way into the living room.

Ranger was lounging on the couch sipping coffee and talking on his cell phone.

"Do you know if Les is still seeing that girl from the paper?" I eyed him while he paused for the person on the other end to answer. "Good, is he nearby? Yeah, let me talk to him." Pausing again, Ranger glanced at me and winked. "Hey Les. I need a favor. Call Rita and tell her you heard something big is going to go down at Shorty's today around noon." Pause, sip, pause. "Don't worry with the details, just tell her to be there for a good scoop. Thanks man."

Ranger snapped the phone shut and took another sip of the coffee. When he didn't offer up an explanation I crossed my arms and stared.

"What?" He finally said.

"What are you up to?" I said through squinted eyes.

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Maybe." Wolf grin.

"Bastard."

"Often." Bigger wolf grin.

"Fine, don't tell me. I don't really care anyway."

"Liar." Ranger laughed.

I tossed a throw pillow in his direction and caused him to splash some coffee over the side of the cup. I laughed and ran into the kitchen.

A few minutes later Ranger bumped into me from behind. He slid his arms around my waist and dropped his head to my shoulder. "Ready to go babe? Got a busy day ahead of us?"

I squirmed free of his grasp and turned around to meet his eyes. "No I don't. I've already called Connie and she doesn't have anything for me."

Ranger bounced his eyebrows at me. "That's why you're riding with me today."

"And why would I spend all day riding around with you when I could spend my day off doing something fun?"

Ranger took a step toward me and pinned me against the refrigerator. "Trust me babe, we're going to have a lot of fun today."

At 11:45 we were sitting inside of Shorty's. Ranger was his normal calm, cool and collected self, while I was nothing short of a ball of nerves. My fingers rapped against the table as my eye darted around the restaurant.

"Come on Ranger. Give me a hint."

Without taking his eyes off the newspaper in front of him he answered, "Be patient, you'll find out soon enough."

I crossed my arms and sighed in frustration. Something big was about to happen but Ranger was offering up no clues. Just as I was about to start whining again we were joined by Lester and a pretty blonde. Before proper introductions could be made Ranger leaned over to me and said, "Do me a favor Babe, run out to the truck and grab that box from behind the seat."

I stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Huh?"

"Steph, the box behind the seat of the truck. Will you go get it for me?"

"Is your leg broken or something?" I chided.

"Please."

Ranger never says please, so this must be important. "Fine. I'll be right back."

As I milled through the truck looking for Ranger's box, I was suddenly startled by someone screaming. I turned around quickly to see a man with a black face mask running down the street carrying a purse. Putting two and two together I figured something was defiantly wrong with that picture.

Two seconds later, a woman came into view. She was running after the man and screaming, "Stop that man!"

Deciding I would be pissed if someone stole my purse, I let me instincts take over. I immediately started chasing the guy. As soon as I was close enough to reach him I lunged my body forward and tackled him to the ground. When we both finally rolled to a stop I grabbed the bag from him and began smacking him upside the head with what appeared to be fine Italian leather.

"Oh thank you!" yelled the woman. "This fool just mugged me. And if it wasn't for you he would have gotten away!"

By this time, a small crowd had started to form. I immediately spotted Ranger, Lester and the blonde, who appeared to be taking notes. Giving the assailant one last smack I reached out and offered the handbag to the woman then rose to my feet.

"Thank you dear child. I am forever in your debt." she exclaimed.

The small crowd started clapping and before I knew it I was surrounded by a throng of well wishers. They ushered me back inside of Shorty's and began drilling me with questions. I repeated the story and answered everything they threw at me.

"What was your name again Ms.?" said a voice from behind me. I turned in that direction and realized the question had come from the blonde that had arrived with Lester.

"Stephanie." I said.

"Stephanie what?" she asked again, glancing down at the notepad in front of her. "I'm Rita Merrin. I'm a reporter from the Trenton Times. Can you spell your last name for me?"

Before I could object someone answered for me. "P-L-U-M. Her name is Stephanie Plum."

I turned my eyes to the voice and realized that it had been Ranger who had answered.

Rita smiled at him then asked. "Ah, Mr. Manaso. How is it that you know Ms. Plum?"

Without skipping a beat he added, "She's my girlfriend."

__

To Be Continued…


	7. 06

Rita smiled at him then asked. "Ah, Mr. Manaso. How is it that you know Ms. Plum?"

Without skipping a beat he added, "She's my girlfriend."

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 6

After picking my mouth up off the floor, Ranger ushered me out to his truck. We were halfway back to my apartment when I was finally able to speak.

"I'm your girlfriend?" I asked.

Ranger glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "Babe."

Obviously to him, that one word explained it all. I, on the other hand, was still in a state of shock. We made our way in silence to my apartment. Ranger guided me up the stairs with his hand gently placed on the small of my back. When we were inside and seated on the couch he began clicking through the TV channels. After 20 minutes of not talking, Ranger noticed something was astray.

"Babe?"

"Yeah?" I answered, not turning towards him.

"You've been staring at the wall ever since we sat down. What's up?"

"I'm your girlfriend?" I repeated.

Ranger remained still and silent for a heartbeat then quickly grabbed me by the shoulders to face him. "You're not kidding are you?" He asked.

I simply shook my head.

"You mean you really are that surprised that I consider you my girlfriend?"

Again, I shook my head.

"We've been together every day for over a month. How else would you describe this relationship?"

"We have a relationship?" I asked, now even more shocked than before.

"Jesus babe, what did you think was going on between us?"

I shrugged my shoulders then answered, "Having a good time."

Ranger stared into my face with no emotion. He didn't speak for a long time, and the only movement was the slight blinking of his eyes. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity he lifted his hand to my cheek. Gently he stroked my skin, letting his hand slide to the side of my head. He finally stilled after looping a curl of hair behind my ear.

"Stephanie, how could you think I was just out for some fun?" His emotions rolled across his face in waves. I wasn't prepared for this level of intensity and before I knew what was happening tears were streaming down my face.

I gasped between sobs as I tried to find my voice, "I knew you didn't do relationships, I knew that you thought your life was too dangerous. You've never really expressed any interest in my beyond the physical so I just assumed that's all it was to you. I guess I was just too afraid to hope for anything different."

Ranger took a deep breath then pulled me into his chest. I rested my head on his shoulder as he made soft patterns on my back with his fingers.

"Steph I never meant to give you that impression. I know what I said about relationships in the past, but something about you just made me forget why that was such a good idea. My life is dangerous but sometimes there are reasons to risk such danger. As for my interest in you, I thought I had made it pretty obvious. I just assumed you would eventually get the hint if I kept giving you cars and stuff. I guess I was too stupid to realize that a woman like you wasn't interested in the material things I have to offer."

I pushed away from his body in order to look in his eyes. "You weren't stupid. I appreciated the cars more than you will ever know. I just didn't know what to make of them. No one had ever given me anything for doing nothing before so I just assumed it was your way of asking for something in return. I was the stupid one. I was just so scared for so long, I guess I forgot that I really had no reason to be."

"So why were you scared?"

"Ranger don't." I said as I turned away from him.

Ranger grabbed my arm and gently turned me to face him once again. "Don't turn away from me now, not when we are finally getting things out in the open. Tell me why you were scared."

I slowly let me eyes meet his then started. "I was scared to admit how much I cared about you. I was afraid that if I let those feelings out I would get hurt. That's why you scared me so much Ranger. Not because you are rough and tough, but because you could break my heart more than it had ever been broken before."

Ranger placed both hands on either of my cheeks and said, "Jesus Steph. I had no idea you felt that way. I knew things were getting serious between us, but I didn't really get the intensity of that until now."

I took in a big gulp of air then went for the jugular. "Well, if I'm spilling my guts to you I might as well spill it all. Ranger, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you. I've never felt this way towards anyone before, not even The Dick. So I'm giving you my heart so to speak, and all I ask is that you be gentle with it."

The corners of Ranger's mouth curved upward slightly as a smile crept into place. "That was probably the best thing anyone has ever said to me, so I'll make you a deal babe. I'll take your heart, but only if you take mine."

Tears slide down my face as I shook my head in agreement as I was unable to speak. He had literally taken my breath away, and it was only until he leaned in to kiss me did it return. When we finally pulled away we were both panting from desire.

He lifted himself off the couch then reached down to pick me up.

"Wait Ranger, where are you taking me?"

"To bed dummy." He said as he smiled down at me.

"I don't think so. Put me down, we have other things to do."

Ranger looked at me confused. "What things?"

I wiggled free from his grasp until I was standing before him. "You have to take me shopping."

"Um, can't that wait babe?"

"No! It can't wait. Don't you realize what's about to happen?"

"Yes, that's why I wanted to take you to bed."

"Not that Ranger. I'm talking about what happened at lunch. I can practically hear the grapevine now. You just told the entire city that we were a couple, so it's just a matter of time before we get ambushed."

"Oh come on Steph, it's not that big of a deal. Heck, you haven't even gotten any phone calls yet."

I threw my head back and laugh. "You really think so?"

"I think I would have heard the phone ringing." He explained.

"No you wouldn't have, because I turned the ringer off when we walked in the door. I knew it was going to get ugly so I was trying to get some peace while I still could. Here, let me show you."

I walked over to the kitchen counter and hit the flashing message button on the answer machine. A mechanical voice announced to the room, "You have 37 new messages."

Ranger's mouth hit the floor for a second before he pulled his composure together. "Ok Babe, so maybe things are stirred up. But what does shopping have to do with this?"

I smiled at Ranger. "You're going to go buy me a new answering machine, I'm afraid this one is about to get overheated." Then I pushed the button once more.

"You have 43 new messages."

"Shit. 6 messages in 15 seconds. Not possible." he sighed.

"Oh, but it is possible Batman. And this is nothing compared to what's going to happen tomorrow when that story gets published in the paper."

Ranger thought for a second then quickly pulled the keys from his pocket. "Let's get moving Steph, we'll run by the phone company and get your number changed as well."

I followed him out the door, laughing the entire way.


	8. 07

__

Ranger thought for a second then quickly pulled the keys from his pocket. "Let's get moving Steph, we'll run by the phone company and get your number changed as well."

I followed him out the door, laughing the entire way.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 7

An hour later I had a new phone number and a brand new answering machine. I couldn't manage to wipe the smirk off my face, so Ranger had decided to just ignore me. Some men just hate to be proven wrong.

When he pulled the truck into the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly I asked what we were doing. "Um, the Piggly Wiggly?"

"A fine and respectable grocery chain, even if it has a stupid name." Ranger stated.

"I agree, but what are we doing here?" I questioned.

Ranger jumped from the truck and walked around to my door which he opened and grabbed my hand to help me from the seat. He explained his reasoning as we walked hand-in-hand into the store.

"I figure we should lay low tonight, so if I'm going to be spending the rest of the day at your apartment I want to make sure you have something edible there."

"You're buying me groceries?"

"No. I'm buying _me_ groceries to keep at your place."

"I see." I snickered.

------------------------

Once we were inside the Piggly Wiggly, Ranger roamed the fruit and veggie isle while I headed straight towards the bakery. 20 minutes later we met again at the register. I had a basket of goodies as did Ranger. I tried to glance at what he was buying but he quickly hid it behind his back.

"No babe, it's a surprise."

"Oh goody. Green shrubs, I can hardly wait." I said sarcastically.

Ranger smiled, "You'll see. What did you get?" He said as he peered into my basket.

"No way! If I can't see what you are getting, you can't peek either. In fact, I'll go to the next register so you won't ruin my surprise."

Just as I was about to turn to the next counter he grabbed my arm and dropped his mouth to my ear. "I love when you try to surprise me." Then he leaned all the way in and planted a huge kiss on my lips. I completely forgot where we were until I heard a kid squeal.. "Oooooooo." Ranger pulled us apart, then quickly eyed the kid who immediately turned pale and ran to look for his mother.

-----------------------

When we returned to the apartment, Ranger quickly locked himself in the bedroom. At first I pouted, but after explaining he was preparing his surprise I quickly understood.

While I was alone, I took the time to reflect about the events of the day. Everything seemed so surreal. Only a little over a month ago, Ranger and I had still been running circles around one another and now we were a couple. An actual, official, kiss in public couple. This just may be the best time in my life.

"What are you grinning about?" Said Ranger in his super sexy voice. I glanced up at him and watched his muscles flex as he made his way towards me. He had let his hair down and it fell gently across his shoulders. He had changed clothes, or more like it, he had removed clothes. Now he was clad in only a pair of black silk boxers and a smile.

"I was just thinking about how lucky I am." I answered him when I found my voice.

He walked to where I was standing and grabbed my hand. "Follow me babe, cause I'm about to make you really lucky."

I couldn't help but laugh, but I grabbed his hand and let him lead me into the bedroom anyway.

He had covered the windows with black sheets which caused the entire room to darken. There were several vanilla scented candles lit all around the room giving it a shimmering glow. The light bounced off his dark skin causing my knees to go weak.

He had pulled the covers back on the bed and I noticed I had new sheets.

"Are those what I think they are?" I asked him.

"You always said you loved my sheets."

"Wow. That Piggly Wiggly is one hell of a store."

Ranger laughed then wrapped his arms around me. "I had a few things hidden in the truck. But forget that stuff, come to bed with me and let me show you that I think you're one hell of a woman."

Ranger walked around to the opposite side of the bed, slowly dropped his boxers and slid under the covers. I quickly undressed and join him on the crisp, new sheets. They felt like heaven, but were quickly forgotten when he laid his hands on me.

He placed his hands around my waist and pulled me on top of him. His lips kissed my shoulder as he whispered into my ear how beautiful he thought I was. He continued to lick and tease my neck until it was damp from his tongue. He pulled away and blew the warm air of his breathe across my skin, causing a tremble to flow down my back.

Ranger moaned as I shivered and quickly rolled me over onto my back. He pinned me with his strong muscular body. His hands slide up my sides and along my arms until he placed his hands into mine. He entangled my fingers with his then gently raised my arms over my head, holding them against the mattress. I tightened my grip on his hands as he tongue did interesting things to my neck.

"Oh God Ranger. You make me feel so good." I moaned.

Ranger smiled against my skin and quickly moved his mouth to mine. My eyes closed from the intensity of the contact. He was gentle, hot and aggressive all in one kiss. His tongue demanded my attention while his lips fought to tame my own. As our desire grew, my hips began to thrust in reflex to what my body was feeling.

I could feel his body grow to meet my own. I wrapped my legs around his waist and tried to force him inside me, but he pulled away.

"Not yet babe… I want to devour you first." He whispered.

And devour me he did. From my neck, to my breasts, across my stomach and finally between my legs he licked and tasted every inch of my body. When his tongue found my belly button he had released his hands from mine and placed them on my thighs. As he crept lower he slowly pushed my legs apart until I was spread completely before him.

I gasped from excitement when he finally touched that spot. My body jerked and my eyes rolled back in my head as he sucked me into his mouth, rolling me between his teeth.

My hands grasped his head and pulled his mouth closer to me. His hair tangled around my fingers as I begged for more.

When he had my body in a frenzy he slid two fingers deep inside of me, bending them slightly in order to hit that other perfect spot. Just as quickly as he found it, he pushed me over the edge. I bucked my hips in the air causing him to grind his mouth tighter against me. I came hard, and long and nearly passed out from the sensations.

I was still breathing hard when he kissed his way back up my body. As soon as his lips landed on mine he slipped his cock inside of me. My wetness soaking him immediately. He slid into my slick folds without effort and quickly began to make slow, deep thrusts.

My mouth jerked free of his and quickly bit into the skin at his neck. I wanted to mark him as my own, to show the world that this man was taken. I took a quick bite, and when he thrust forward I licked the same spot. Bite, lick, bite, lick.

When my fingers began to play with his nipples his back tightened. His fingers dug into my side and he began pumping into me faster and faster until I was no longer able to make sense of the world. The room began to spin and the only thing I could bring into focus were the sensations his body was making against mine.

With a deep groan and a quick kiss, Ranger spilled inside of me, moaning, "I love you." in my ear. When he was completely drained he collapsed on top of me, still breathing heavy. I wrapped my arms and legs around him and held him close.

When his breathing was back to normal he rolled over to his side and propped his head against his arm. As he made circles on my stomach he spoke softly. "Stephanie. I love you. I wanted to say it again when I wasn't coming."

I let my laugh spread through the room then replied, "I love you too Ranger and not just because of the doomsday orgasms you give me either."

"That's good to know." He laughed back.

We remained in each other's arms until our desires flared once again. The rest of the day was spent in bed, as we took turns showing each other just how much we were in love.

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To Be Continued…


	9. 08

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We remained in each other's arms until our desires flared once again. The rest of the day was spent in bed, as we took turns showing each other just how much we were in love.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 8

"Let go." I pleaded.

"Nope. You're keeping me warm." Ranger explained.

I tried unsuccessfully to wiggly my way out of his grasp. "Come on Ranger. Let go."

"Give me one good reason." Ranger said as he pulled me closer to his chest.

"Because it's time for your surprise. I need to go get the… the props."

"Props?"

"Yes. Props."

"Tell me what kind of props and I'll let you go." Ranger said.

"No fair! I want to surprise you." I curled back around in his arms until my lips were against his chest. I started licking slow circles around his nipples. "Come on Ranger. I promise you won't regret it." I said in my deepest voice.

Ranger loosened his grip on me and I quickly slid from the bed for the first time in three hours. As I jogged to the kitchen I noticed my reflection in the TV. I was naked as the day I was born, my hair was a disaster and the expression on my face said only one thing; pure bliss. I couldn't pry the smile off my face right now even if I wanted to. I was without a doubt, happier at this very moment than I had ever been in my entire life. Just the thought of having a naked Ranger in my bed was enough to make any girl's dream come true. But to have a naked Ranger in my bed who had repeatedly professed his love to me for the last several hours had me floating on cloud nine.

I came out of my sex induced haze long enough to gather my supplies for Ranger's surprise. I grabbed the bottle of Hershey's syrup from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. Next, I took a tray of ice from the freezer and dumped it into a bowl. Just as I was rinsing off the strawberries Ranger yelled from the bedroom. "What's taking so long?"

I couldn't help but laugh. The impatient side of Ranger was definitely not something I got to see very often. I dropped the berries in the sink and returned to the bedroom. Ranger was propped up against the headboard and looking more delicious than ever.

"Don't get your panties in a wad mister." I said as I reentered the room.

"So where's my surprise." Ranger said without hesitation.

"Good things come to those who wait Ric." I stopped as soon as I said his name.

"You called me Ric." Ranger said.

"I realize that. I'm not sure where it came from, it just kinda slipped out. Is that ok?" I asked.

Ranger smiled, "Definitely. I just wasn't expecting it."

"Me either…" I said getting cut off by the ding of the microwave.

Ranger's ears perked up. "Is that my surprise babe?"

"Maybe. But before I give it to you I need you to get out of bed for a second."

"What for?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes at him then answered. "Stop being so nosey and just do what I'm asking."

"Alright, but it better be worth it." He grinned at me.

When he rolled off the bed I quickly began pulling all the covers off the mattress including the new sheets he had given me.

"Care to explain." He asked.

"I don't want them to get ruined." I explained.

"How.."

"Stop Ranger. No more questions. You'll just have to wait and see. Now grab that old blanket from the closet."

Ranger stopped talking, quirked a smile at me then dug in the closet until he found the blanket. He tossed it to me and I threw it over the bed, making sure the mattress was completely covered.

"Now you can get back in bed." I said.

Ranger again did as I asked and fell back on the bed. When he was in place I went to the dresser and retrieved a black silk scarf. I rolled it into my fist then turned around to meet his gaze.

"Now I need you to trust me Ranger. It's part of your surprise." I said as I walked toward him with the scarf in hand. He immediately knew what my intentions where. Just as I was about to place it around his head he grabbed my wrist.

"Babe, I'll let you do this only if you promise to let me do the same to you later."

"Don't worry Ric, I'm going to make damn sure you do the same to me later."

Ranger's wolf grin slide into place as I secured the scarf behind his head. Once I was convinced he couldn't see I returned to the kitchen to fetch the props.

A few minutes later, with my edible goodies in hand, I returned to the bedroom and began setting up the surprise.

"Ok Ranger. Here's the deal. I wanted to combine my two favorite things so I could have the best of both worlds. This is where your surprise comes in."

"And what exactly is the surprise." He questioned.

"You tell me Ric. What are my two favorite things?" I said in a whisper against his ear.

"One has to be eating. And since I'm blindfolded in your bed I'm going to assume I'm number two."

"Technically you're number one and food is second but you got the gist of it."

I moved my mouth around to his and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. When he started to become more aggressive I pulled away. "That's enough now. I have other things to do to you first." I explained.

Ranger sighed heavily then gently relaxed his body. I reached for the syrup I had warmed and quickly opened the bottle. I squeezed a little of it onto my finger then said, "Open your mouth."

Ranger's mouth slowly parted and I slid my chocolate covered finger inside. His tongue immediately jerked in response to the sweetness. He sucked at me gently while he moaned playfully.

As I pulled my finger from his mouth I began to speak in a whisper. "The chocolate represents me. I'm sweet, messy, and sometimes I'm bad for your health."

Ranger laughed.

Next, I reached over and grabbed one of the strawberries. I rested it gently against his tongue and became mesmerized as his teeth sank into the juicy fruit. When some of the liquid spilled from his mouth I leaned down and licked it away. "The strawberry represents you. You're surprisingly sweet, very healthy and incredibly tasty."

Ranger laughed again.

Once he had swallowed the fruit and completely licked the juice from my finger I grabbed another berry. Before placing it in his mouth, I covered it with a squirt of chocolate. I began speaking as soon as it hit his lips. "And when you put the chocolate and the strawberries together you get something you never expected. Something that's so tasty it makes you drool, something so pure it makes you crave more, and something so decadent you don't even realize it's good for you."

Ranger smiled as he finished eating the chocolaty fruit. "Mmmm, that was perfect." He said.

"Shhh. I'm not done yet. In fact, I'm only getting started. Now it's time for the really, really fun part."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." I said. "Now just relax and try to concentrate on nothing but the sensations of what I'm doing."

Ranger nodded his head in agreement. I reached down and grabbed the warm syrup bottle, held it above his chest and gave it a good squeeze.

The warm, dark liquid hit his chest and began to spread. He jumped in surprise when it first came into contact. Not wanting to waste a single drop, I straddled his lap and quickly began licking up the sauce. Ranger's chest rumbled as he moaned from the sensation of my tongue teasing his chocolate covered nipple.

The syrup glistened against his already dark skin. I smeared it with my finger, using it as a lubricant to slide across his strong muscles. I kept licking until I had cleaned him of every last drop.

His chest was warm from the sauce and from the friction of my tongue so I reached over and grabbed one of the ice cubes from the bowl I had brought from the kitchen. I held the ice cube above his nipple and waited for the first drop of moisture to fall.

As soon as it made contact with his dark, puckered skin I quickly covered the same spot with my mouth. Ranger drew in a gasp of air and his back arched toward me. I licked his nipple until the moisture was gone and the heat from him had returned.

I palmed the ice cube and laid it flat against his chest. He jerked again but quickly began to relax. I rolled the ice across his chest, leaving wet trails behind. When one spot started to feel too cold I lowered my mouth to warm it up once more.

I continued with my cold assault until Ranger's breath was so ragged he could barely speak.

"You're killing me." He moaned.

"Not yet I'm not." I laughed.

Once the ice cube was completely melted I slide down his body until I was straddling his feet. Once again I grabbed the chocolate syrup and slowly drizzled some of it across the tip of his bulging cock.

Again he jerked from the contact.

"You're awfully jumpy Ric." I teased.

"You're killing me." He repeated.

"You've already said that." I laughed again.

I allowed a few more drops of syrup to land on his shaft before I began my assault.

First I gently slid my fingertips up and down his shaft. Just barely making contact, using just enough pressure to let him know I was still there. Once my fingers were again covered with the syrup I raised them to his mouth and covered his lips with the sauce. He licked it away and I said, "Remove the blindfold Ric, I want you to see this."

As soon as he tossed the cloth to the floor I took his shaft in my mouth. He thrust forward causing it to slid in further. I held him still against my tongue, stroking and caressing him with my mouth. I sucked away all the syrup, lapping up the mess it had made on his cock.

I pulled him from my mouth then slowly dragged my tongue up and down the shaft. I tilted my head sideways and slid his cock against my lips, teasing him with the very tip of my tongue.

His body was on fire. He jerked and moaned while he dug his fists into the blanket beneath him. He tried not to thrust towards me, but the harder he tried the more he failed.

And when I finally took him in my mouth again, I grasped his balls with my fist and gave them a firm squeeze. He moaned, "God yes.. More…"

So, I gave him more. I squeezed harder and sucked deeper until he was barely hanging on to his sanity. I didn't even stop when his hands crushed into my hair and he jerked me towards his body. His cock slid deep inside of my throat, and just when my tongue pulsed against it his orgasm swept through his body. He gripped my hair tighter, jerked his ass off the bed and filled the entire room with his moans.

I took him all in my mouth and didn't release him until the last spasm had left his body. Once he was relaxed he glanced down at me and grinned. "Babe, you're a mess. You've got chocolate all over your face."

I smiled at him then slowly inched up the bed toward him. "I'm not hardly as messy as I'm about to be." I said as I passed the bottle of syrup to him.

__

To be Continued…


	10. 09

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I smiled at him then slowly inched up the bed toward him. "I'm not hardly as messy as I'm about to be." I said as I passed the bottle of syrup to him.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 9

I woke up with a something poking me in my back. Remembering the marathon with Ranger the night before, I grinned slightly as I rolled over expecting to see him ready for action. However what I found wasn't a horny Ranger and instead was something much more disappointing, serious Ranger.

His elbow was poking me in my back as he struggled to hold the telephone in one hand while he flipped through the TV channels with the other. He managed to flip through 100 channels at lightening speed without finding anything acceptable, all while he barked into the phone.

"What do you mean? I was only out of touch for one damn afternoon. How the hell could you guys loose him?" he yelled.

Noting his irritability I slid out of bed and padded into the safer confines of the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror convinced me that it would indeed be a ponytail day, so 20 minutes and a few swipes of lip gloss later I returned to the bedroom ready to start the day.

Ranger was still yelling into the phone, but had somehow managed to get dressed while he was talking.

"To hell with this. Have the men in the boardroom in 30 minutes and by god someone better have some answers for me."

I flinched when he slammed the phone shut and said a silent thank you that I wasn't on the other end of that conversation.

I was about to slip into the living room when Ranger spoke.

"Morning babe." His face soften the instance he turned his attention to me.

"Morning. Sounds like you've got a busy day ahead of yourself." I said as I made my way to the kitchen for some coffee.

"Yeah. Something went wrong with a job yesterday so I have to go in and take care of it. What are your plans for the day." He said as he followed me from the bedroom.

I grabbed a cup from the cabinet and waited for the coffee. My eyes drifted back into the living room where I Ranger was lacing up his boots. "I guess I'll swing by the office and see if Connie has anything for me. But other than that, it'll probably be pretty calm."

Ranger finished messing with his shoes and stepped towards the door. I met him halfway and walked into his chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around me as I slide mine around his waist.

"Damn. Wish I could stay here all day." He mumbled into my hair.

"Me too." I moaned back.

He kissed the top of my head then slowly pulled away. "Gotta go babe. I'll call you when I get done."

"Okey dokey." I said as I turned to retrieve the coffee.

I heard the door open then I waited to hear it close, but the sound never came. I turned around and saw Ranger staring down at the floor outside my door. I immediately cringed.

"Oh God Ranger. What is it? Do I have another freak after me. Is it a bloody rose? Or a frozen kidney? What is it?"

Ranger lifted his head to look at me and flashed me a predatory grin. Then he reached down and scooped the newspaper off the floor. "Looks like your day won't be as calm as you first thought."

I was next to him in two steps and I gasped in sheer horror when I read the headline.

Local Businessman, Carlos Manaso's _Bombshell _Girlfriend Proves To Be Good Samaritan

"Front page? It made the front page?" I said to him in shock.

Ranger laughed, "Looks like it. It's actually a pretty good article so don't get yourself too worked up over it."

"Too worked up! Are you kidding me! Do you have any idea what my mother…."

Ranger cut me off before I could finish my sentence. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't…" I started again.

This time he placed a finger over my lips. "Yes Stephanie. Don't worry about it. This is what I want you to do. First, call your mother and tell her we would like to join her and the rest of the family for dinner tonight. Ask her if there is anything she would like us to bring."

I took a step back to get away from his finger. "We're going to my parent's for dinner?" I asked, still in shock.

"Yes. Then we're going to my parents for dessert."

"What!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs.

Ranger smiled then pulled me back into his chest. His arms held me tight with the promise of safety.

"Do you trust me?" He whispered.

"Yes, but…"

"No buts. I love you and there's nothing your or my family can do to change that. So tonight we'll march ourselves over there and make sure they understand that." He explained.

I sighed then lifted my head back to meet his gaze. "You sound so brave."

"You make me brave and I wish I could stay here and describe all the other things you make me but I really have to get going. If you don't want to deal with this today then hide out here and we'll deal with it when I get back."

He gave me another kiss on the head and parted for the door. He glanced back before closing it and said, "Don't worry babe. We're in this together."

When the door finally shut I sulked to the couch and flopped into my thinking position. I briefly thought about getting dressed and going into the office then remembered what Ranger had said. Hiding in the apartment all day didn't sound like such a bad idea. Who says ignorance isn't bliss?

--------------------------------------

Inside of Rangeman's boardroom the meeting was finally coming to a close. Ranger stood in front of the packed room and laid out the assignments for the day. As luck would have it, the missing skip from the day before had been spotted not long after Ranger's early morning phone conversation with Tank. So by the time he had made it into the office, things were back on track.

"Any questions?" He asked before dismissing his team. When no one spoke up he shook his head and the room quickly began to empty.

Within a minute Ranger was left all alone with an extremely happy Tank. Ranger had noticed his smile all through the meeting but hadn't yet asked him about it.

"Why are you so happy this morning? Have a good night?" Ranger teased.

Tank stood up and walked toward Ranger's end of table. As he leaned against a nearby chair he tossed a copy of the days paper in front of him. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He shot back.

Ranger smiled at the picture on the front of the paper. Stephanie's eyes beamed with surprise as Ranger placed a kiss on her lips just before the cameraman took the shot.

"So you guys are finally together?" Tank asked.

"Appears so." Ranger answered.

"About damn time man. So is it all you expected it to be?" Tank asked, urging him on for details.

Ranger tried to fight the smile from creeping across his face but failed miserably. "It's better than I could have ever imagined. I've seen her every night for the last seven weeks and it just keeps getting better." Ranger explained.

"Seven weeks huh?" Tank asked.

"Yup, seven incredible weeks." As the words crossed his lips Ranger suddenly turned twelve shades lighter. He let the thought cross his mind again. Seven weeks, every night, no interruptions. Seven weeks! Holy shit!

"Oh fuck!" Ranger shouted before leaping for the door.

"Where you headed man?" Tank said, sounding obviously confused.

Ranger didn't take time to respond and he didn't stop running until he had reached his truck. At that moment the only thing on his mind was getting to Stephanie.

__

To be continued…


	11. 10

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Ranger didn't take time to respond and he didn't stop running until he had reached his truck. At that moment the only thing on his mind was getting to Stephanie.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 10

Stephanie was in the middle of a Wheel of Fortune marathon on the Game Show Channel when Ranger burst through her door.

"You're pregnant." He shouted as he slammed the door closed behind him.

Startled, Stephanie jumped then relaxed when she realized what he said. "No I'm not."

Ranger took a few big steps and landed on the couch next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her head forcibly into his chest. "Don't worry babe. We'll have a quickie wedding and no one will be the wiser. Your parents will never suspect a thing. I guess I just assumed you were taking birth control but none of that matters now. We'll get married and you can move into my apartment with me until we find a suitable house. Shhh, don't worry Steph everything's going to be fine." Ranger mumbled on.

Stephanie's cries were muffled against Ranger's chest. "Mfmpf." She tried pushing away from him but he kept her close. She tried again, but he simply squeezed her tighter. Unable to think of a better plan she took a deep breath then punched him, with all her might, directly in the stomach.

"Ooomph." slipped from his mouth.

The impact made him loosen his grip just enough for her to slip out of his grasp. When she was standing in front of him she put her hands on her hips and began ranting. "Ranger! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you a freak?"

"Babe." He said.

"Don't babe me. I'm not pregnant so what put that stupid idea in your head." She asked.

"Oh God. Did you terminate it? Well, if you did that's ok. We'll deal with it."

"Ranger!" She screamed to stop his rambling. "There was no baby to terminate. I'm not pregnant and I never have been so start explaining how you came up with this insane notion."

Ranger looked at Steph with amazement. "You're just in denial but don't worry I'll take care of everything. But to answer your question, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on."

"What do you mean?"

"We've been together every night for the last seven weeks." He explained.

"So?"

"So? Babe, you haven't had your period once during all that time. That can only mean one thing. But like I said, don't worry things are going to work out great. Sure this speeds up my plans a little bit but that's ok…"

Stephanie sighed then stomped her foot to get his attention. "Ranger stop. I'm not pregnant. I'm on birth control. It's a new kind the gyno gave me called Seasonale. It causes me to only have four periods a year so I'm in fact not late at all. You're jumping to conclusions."

The briefest look of disappointment shot across Ranger's face before he spoke. "So you really aren't pregnant?"

Stephanie shook her head slowly, suddenly feeling bad about having to tell him no.

Ranger pulled himself together quickly and responded, "Whew! Well that's a relief. I guess I'll get back to work now." Then he turned to head back out the door.

Stephanie grabbed his arm and tried to stop him from leaving. "Ranger wait."

"Yeah babe?" He said as he turned his attention back around to her.

"Are you ok? You seem disappointed."

"Are you kidding? I'm fine." Then he pulled away and again headed for the door.

"Ricardo Carlos Manaso! Stop right there and don't take another step forward!" Stephanie yelled.

Ranger turned around slowly and cock his eyebrow at her.

"Don't give me that look Ric. I know you well enough to know when you aren't being completely honest with me. Now come have a seat on the couch."

"Babe," was all he said in the way of an argument.

"I'm serious, you aren't going anywhere until we talk about this." She exclaimed.

Ranger finally agreed then returned to the couch, with Stephanie following closely on his heels. When they were seated beside one another she began to speak softly.

"Do you think I would keep something as important as a pregnancy from you?"

Ranger shook his head then turned quickly to her. "No babe. It's nothing like that, I just thought… Oh hell Steph, I don't know what I thought. These past few weeks have been so amazing I lost track of time and I thought maybe you had done the same."

Stephanie smiled slowly then cupped her hand around his cheek. "I know what you mean. One minute I feel like this just happened last night and the next I feel so comfortable with you that I think we must have always been together. This is the happiest I've ever been."

Ranger met her smile. "Me too. I never realized it could be this good."

Stephanie took a deep breath. "Well if you are so happy, why did you seem disappointed when I told you about the birth control?"

Ranger fell back on the couch and closed his eyes. "I guess I just assumed that I would never have anymore children, so when I thought you might be pregnant I was a little excited. I know it's stupid…"

Stephanie leaned back against the couch and snuggled into his chest. "It's not stupid at all. I was just a little shocked by your reaction. I had no idea you wanted more kids, we've never really talked about it."

Ranger opened one eye and peered down at Steph. "Are you saying that you would like to talk about it?"

Stephanie thought about it for a few seconds then said, "I suppose we should Ric. Lord knows we're probably going to be asked every question in the book at my parents house tonight…"

"At mine too." Ranger interrupted.

"So I guess we better get our stories straight," she said.

"Guess so."

They both sat silently for several minutes, neither of them daring to begin before the other. Finally Stephanie spoke up. "All this serious talk makes me hungry. Let's fix lunch then we'll talk."

"Best idea I've heard all day." Ranger replied.

---------------------------------

After throwing together a quick lunch the pair sat face to face at the kitchen table.

"Suppose we should start talking now." Stephanie said.

"Suppose so," agreed Ranger.

Again, silence.

"Can we put some conditions on this conversation," Stephanie said after a full five minutes had passed.

"What kind of conditions?"

"What if we both agree to say whatever it is that's on our mind and the other person has to agree not to get mad and storm out."

Ranger thought about it for a few minutes then shook his head. "That's probably a good plan."

"Ok then. Do you want to start?"

"Chicken," teased Ranger.

"Absolutely, never denied it. You go first." she laughed.

"Fine. I guess first of all I should ask you if you want to have children or not?"

"Technically that's cheating since it was a question, but since you're cute I'll let it go this time."

"You're staling babe."

"I know. Ok, just remember, no storming out mad."

"Agreed."

"Yes Ric, I do want to have children but I assumed it would happen after I got married again. I know it sounds old fashioned and stuff but I really don't want to have a child out of wedlock."

"So you want to get married?" He asked.

Steph shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Eventually yes. What about you? Would you ever get married again?"

"I assumed after the disaster of my first marriage I'd never want to go through that pain again." A smile softened Ranger's face. "But lately, I've been thinking that marriage could definitely be in my future."

"You've thought about marrying me?" Stephanie sounded shock.

"Of course. Hell, there's not much I haven't thought about when it comes to you." The soft grin was replaced by something much darker and more intimate.

"Wow. I don't really know what to say to that. I mean, it has only been seven weeks!"

Ranger laughed. "Well don't get your panties in a wad just yet. I haven't even asked you."

"I know!"

Ranger leaned in until his lips were against her ear. "But I will. So be thinking about your answer."

Stephanie pushed him back into his own chair and smiled, "Don't worry, my answer's already on the tip of my tongue."

"Babe," Ranger said as his voice went husky.

"Ric," Stephanie replied.

Ranger glanced at his watch then back over to Steph. "We've got plenty of time before we head to your parent's house."

"So what are you proposing?" she teased.

Ranger jumped up from the table and scooped her up into his arms. "I propose we start practicing in case we ever have a real honeymoon night."

"I like the way you think." she said as she slipped her tongue across his neck. Ranger carried her into the bedroom and for the next two hours they practiced again and again.

__

To Be Continued…

FYI - There are only 2 (maybe 3) chapters remaining in this story.


	12. 11

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Ranger jumped up from the table and scooped her up into his arms. "I propose we start practicing in case we ever have a real honeymoon night."

"I like the way you think." she said as she slipped her tongue across his neck. Ranger carried her into the bedroom and for the next two hours they practiced again and again.

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 11

"Well, that went better than I had expected," Stephanie said as she slid into the car next to Ranger.

"I told you we would survive it babe." Ranger reassured her as he pulled the car slowly onto the road.

"What did you and my dad talk about in the garage?"

Ranger flicked her a quick smile and shrugged. "Man stuff."

Stephanie reached over and smacked his shoulder. "Oh please, just tell me what he said."

Ranger laughed then turned slightly more serious. "He asked me what my intentions were."

"Oh God." Stephanie moaned as she dropped her head into her hands.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad babe. He's just looking out for his little girl."

"So what did you tell him?" She asked.

"I was honest. I told him my intentions were entirely dishonorable and he should never allow me in his home again."

Stephanie gasped. "You didn't!"

Ranger tossed his head back and laughed. "Of course I didn't. But I did tell him the truth."

"Which is?"

"That I intend to spend the rest of my life caring for you and doing everything I can to ensure your happiness."

Stephanie smiled then placed her hand on Ranger's thigh. "Good answer Ric."

Ranger smiled, sent her a quick wink then settled into his driving mode.

Fifteen minutes later Stephanie broke the silence. "So, how far is it to your parents?"

"It's an hour outside of Trenton, but this time of day we may hit some traffic. Don't worry babe, you've got plenty of time for nap."

"Smartass." She said before snuggling deeper into the seat.

-----------------------

Stephanie woke from her nap as Ranger pulled the car to the side of the road.

"Are we there?" She asked.

"No, I just wanted to talk to you first." He explained.

"Ok." Steph said meekly.

"It's not that bad babe. I just wanted to give you an idea of what to expect. And I also want you to know that I understand this is probably pretty hard for you. I just wish I had done things differently and had introduced you to my family a long time ago."

Stephanie raised her palm to his cheek and soothed away his tension. "Promise me one thing Ric. Promise me that no matter what happens in the future, we never look back and say what if. It's in the past now and it doesn't matter. No matter how much we screwed up before we still managed to end up in a pretty great place."

Ranger smiled and rubbed his cheek against her skin. "One hell of a great place." He raised his hand to cover hers then leaned in and planted a soft, tender kiss to her lips. He pulled away slowly breathing in her scent.

"God I love you Steph."

"I love you too. But, before we end up humping in the car tell me what you pulled over for."

Ranger smiled. "Ok, although humping in the car will probably be a lot more fun than drinks at my parents. I just wanted to you to be prepared."

Stephanie slid away from him slightly so she could focus on what he had to say instead of how much she wanted to run her tongue across the muscles in his neck.

"My father is going to love you. He's retired and spends most of his time on the golf course. Mom on the other hand will be completely civil to you but distant at the same time. She still believes that no woman is good enough for me so she'll probably come across as being a snob. Just try to be patient and remember that she's just looking out for me."

"Ok." Stephanie said.

"You're also going to meet my grandfather Carlos. When my grandmother died five years ago he came to live with mom and dad. He's a little off his rocker but pretty much harmless. Just watch out for his hands, sometimes he likes to get frisky."

Stephanie smiled. "So that's where you get it."

"Yeah, I guess it is. So do you have any questions before we go?"

Stephanie thought for a moment then asked, "If everything goes horrible are you still going to love me when we leave?"

Ranger laughed then grabbed her arm and dragged her across the seat until their faces nearly touched. "Nothing that happens in that house or anywhere else will ever change how I feel for you."

Stephanie gave him an innocent peck on the nose then wiggled free of his grasp. "Ok. Just checking."

Ranger laughed again then started the car and aimed it toward his parents.

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The next time the car slowed to a stop was in front of the biggest house Stephanie had ever seen. The front door alone was bigger than her entire apartment.

"What exactly did your dad retire from?" she asked.

"He was an attorney but that didn't buy this place."

Stephanie glanced at him in question.

"I guess I left out a few details." Ranger said as he slid out of the car. He walked around to Steph's side then took her hand and lead her towards the door before continuing. "Dad's father was an immigrant from Cuba. He and my grandmother settled in Miami and worked as hard as they could to provide a good life for their children. Dad inherited their work ethic and threw everything he had into his school work. It paid off and he received a full scholarship to Old Miss. During the summers in Mississippi he got work with a construction company as a painter. The second job he worked on was painting the exterior of an old anti-bellum plantation house. The house was named Rosedown, after my great-great-great grandmother."

"So that's where he met your mother?" Stephanie asked as they inched their way to the massive front doors.

"Yup. As he tells it, he fell instantly in love with her and spent the next four years trying to convince her that she felt the same way about him."

Stephanie laughed. "So your mother is actually a southern belle?"

"Very much so. She comes from a long line of good old southern money, but she almost lost it all when she agreed to marry dad. Her family didn't think he was good enough so they disinherited her for awhile. That was the only time in her life she actually worked for a living."

"So what made them change their minds?"

"Well, the birth of me of course." Ranger grinned.

"What kind of lies are you out here spreading?" said a deep voice from the now open doors.

Ranger beamed as he stepped toward the man in the doorway. With the exception of a few gray hairs on the older man the two of them could pass for twins. The two men embraced and slapped each other on the back.

"Good to see you dad."

"Good to see you to son. It's been too long."

Ranger shrugged. "I know, I've been busy. I'll try to come by more often."

The two parted and Ranger's father eyed Stephanie for the first time. "You do that, but first why don't you introduce me to this vision of loveliness you brought with you."

Stephanie blushed then extended her hand. "I'm Stephanie Plum."

"Well of course you are dear. I know all about you. I'm Andres but pretty, young things like you can call me Andy." He said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and ushered them both inside.

Stephanie nearly gasped as they entered the foyer of the house. A large winding staircase was to her right, and to the left was another set of massive doors. Ranger's father motioned them towards the doors and said, "Your mother's waiting in the lounge for you. I'll grab us some drinks and join you in a moment."

When they were left alone in the hallway Stephanie released the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Ranger noted her tension the swept his arms around her waist. With his head resting on her shoulder he whispered, "Nothing will ever make me stop loving you."

She smiled against his shoulder and said, "Thanks, I needed that."

"Anytime. Now let's go meet mom."

He grabbed her hand and slowly opened the door.

As they entered the room a woman on the couch looked up from her book and smiled the instant she saw Ranger. She leapt from the couch and reached to give him a huge hug.

"Oh, I've missed you so much." She said.

"I've missed you too mom. I'm sorry I haven't come by sooner, I just promised dad that I would try to do better."

The woman stepped back and looked Ranger up and down. "Have you lost weight? Please tell me you are eating something more than those twigs and leaves you love so much."

Stephanie stifled a giggle and caught the attention of the woman whose expression immediately darkened.

"And who might you be?" She said as she extended her hand.

"Mother, play nice." Ranger whispered.

"Um. I.. I'm Stephanie Plum." Stephanie said as she returned the brief handshake.

"Oh yes. That bounty hunter woman."

"Yes ma'am" she blushed.

"Well Stephanie. I'm Abigail Rosedown-Manaso."

---------------------------

During the next hour and a half, Stephanie was very thankful that Andy made sure her glass was never empty because the one thing she needed most was some liquid courage.

Ranger had been right about his mother. She was pleasant enough, but deep down Stephanie saw her for the bitch she really was. Aby, as her husband called her kept sneaking judgmental glances in Stephanie's direction. She could practically feel the distaste in the air.

And just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, Andy spoke. "Come with me Ric, I want to show you my newest toy."

Ranger stood and immediately took Stephanie by the hand.

Unfortunately, mommy dearest had other plans for Steph. "Ricardo, let Ms. Plum stay with me. I'll show her the terrace."

Ranger glanced at Stephanie who gave him the briefest nod. She wouldn't dare give Aby any reason to think she could be intimidated.

Ranger walked over and gave Steph a kiss on the forehead before turning to his mother and saying, "Be nice." Then he followed Andy out the door and into the back yard.

"Come Stephanie. Let's have a drink outside." Aby said.

The two women settled into cushiony chairs on a small paved terrace overlooking the estate. Vast, green fields lay before them and for a moment Stephanie almost forgot she was suppose to be tense. "You have a beautiful home Ms. Manaso."

"Thank you. We have shared many memories here."

"I'm sure you have." Stephanie said as the tension returned to her shoulders.

"Yes many memories that I refuse to let be spoiled by certain individuals." Abigail said as she sipped her drink.

Stephanie took a deep breath and tried to remain patient for Ranger's sake.

"I'm sure nothing could take away what you already have Ms. Manaso." she said quietly.

"You aren't the first person to fall for my son Ms. Plum. I'm no dummy. He's very successful, very handsome and when people find out he comes from money that seals the deal."

The anger flared beneath her skin. "What exactly are you implying Ms. Manaso?"

"No need for anger dear. All I'm saying is that you can have as much fun with Ricardo as you like, but that's all it will ever be to him. So don't get your hopes up and start thinking that one day all of this will be yours."

Stephanie took a deep breath as she tried to force her anger back down. "I'm sorry if I've given you that impression but I ensure you that I love Ric and he loves me."

Aby laughed a low, cold chuckle. "Oh dear, men will say the funniest things at certain moments."

Her anger flared to an uncontrollable level. Stephanie took two quick steps toward Ranger's mother and dropped her voice when she spoke. "Ms. Manaso excuse me if you think this is rude, but I thought southern ladies were suppose to have good manners; however apparently you do not. I love Ric, and whether he has all the money in the world or none at all, nothing will change that. I know you don't think I'm good enough for your son, which is sad, because you of all people should know how if feels to love someone your family doesn't approve of."

Aby flinched at the knowledge that Ranger had told Stephanie so much of his family's past. She pulled herself together just as Ric, Andy and another man sped across the lawn in front of them in a golf cart. They squealed to a halt directly in front of the terrace.

"Good lord Carlos, you're going to get yourselves killed." Aby yelled to the man behind the wheel of the golf cart.

Ranger and Andy quickly jumped off the cart in search of safer ground.

"Wimps." The older man said.

Ranger and Andy glanced at one another then burst into a fit of laughter. When they reached the terrace Ranger turned to Steph and said. "Babe, I'd like you to meet my grandfather, Carlos."

The old man leapt from the cart with more energy than his frail body should have allowed. Within seconds he was in front of Stephanie offering his hand. And when she placed hers in his, he grasped it and brought it quickly to his lips.

"It's a wonderful pleasure to meet someone of your beauty." Carlos said as he continued to kiss Stephanie's hand.

She smiled and was relieved that the moment of tension had been interrupted.

"Alright old man, hands off my lady." Ranger laughed as he pulled the man back.

"I never get to have any fun around here." The man grumbled then waddled off to a destination inside the house.

Ranger walked behind Stephanie and snaked his arm around her waist. She stiffened to his touch and he knew instantly that something was wrong.

"Well, I guess Steph and I should get going. It's getting late and we have an hour drive back into Trenton." Ranger said.

The foursome made their way to the front door and each hugged and said their goodbyes. Just as they were about to head down the steps Aby called to Ranger. He took a step back towards her and she leaned down and whispered something into his ear. He didn't respond and quickly joined Stephanie who was already seated in the car.

---------------------------

Thirty minutes into their drive home, Ranger was unable to sit still. Stephanie hadn't said a word since they had gotten in the car and his imagination had been running wild with the scenarios of what might have happened.

"What did she say to you Stephanie?" Ranger finally asked.

After exhaling a deep breath, Stephanie let her rant fly. "I know she's your mother Ranger, and you love her and if we're going to be together I will have to accept her. But she's an evil, evil woman. In not so many words she called me a golddigger and a whore. And if you hadn't returned when you did I'm not sure what would have happened. But she made it perfectly clear that she hates me and that I'm not good enough for you."

Ranger dropped his head back and laughed. Stephanie felt her anger appear again and she yelled so loud it startled Ranger causing him to swerve the car into another lane. "THIS IS NOT FUNNY RANGER!"

Ranger corrected the car, then slowly brought it to a stop on the side of the road. After shutting off the engine, he unsnapped his seat belt and turned to Stephanie.

"Steph I was laughing about what my mom whispered to me when we were leaving."

Stephanie met his eyes and waited for him to continue.

Ranger reached over and poked her in the side. "Go ahead and ask me," he smiled.

Stephanie rolled her eyes then appeased him. "Fine. What did she say?"

Ranger reached over and grabbed her arms, pulling her into his chest. "She said and I quote: _Make sure this one doesn't get away_."

Stephanie jumped as if she had been shot. "Are you serious? Did she really say that?"

Ranger laughed, "Yup."

Stephanie thought about it a minute then laughed herself. "That bitch." she said softly.

Ranger's laughter increased and he replied, "That's my mom".

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To be Continued…

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One more chapter to go….. Then the sequel will be following soon.


	13. 12

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Ranger reached over and grabbed her arms, pulling her into his chest. "She said and I quote: Make sure this one doesn't get away."

Stephanie jumped as if she had been shot. "Are you serious? Did she really say that?"

Ranger laughed, "Yup."

Stephanie thought about it a minute then laughed herself. "That bitch." she said softly.

Ranger's laughter increased and he replied, "That's my mom".

Eleven Days Later

Chapter 12

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Eleven Days Later…

Ranger laid buried under his satin comforter totally at peace. Stephanie was curled up under his arm with her head propped on his chest. He watched her as her breathing slowed and she finally drifted off to sleep.

They had just had another amazing night. First it was dinner and a movie, then the inevitable rush home to get to bed. The first time had been quick and hurried because their need had been building all day. The second time was painstakingly slow and tender, ending with tears of emotions. The third time was fun and full of teasing which began with a simple swat of a pillow. Now completely spent, and totally satisfied Ranger remained still in his bed as a slow smile crept across his face.

He glanced back down at Stephanie and his heart skipped a tad faster as he watched the relaxed look on her face. She was so at peace and for the first time he realized just how much it meant to him to see her happy.

Since announcing their relationship to their parents, friends, and every other newspaper reading citizen of Trenton, things had only gotten better for the pair. At first they both endured the endless teasing from their friends.

Connie, Lula, and Mary Lou had forced Stephanie to a girls night out in order to squeeze every last detail from her.

Tank, Bobby and Lester had found it incredibly funny to blow up condoms of different colors and sizes and place them all around the Rangeman office building. He endured most of their teasing with a shrug, but he nearly lost it when he opened the door of his F150 one morning to find that it too had been filled with the condom balloons. He had cussed quickly under his breath, then proceeded to wake up every Rangeman employee in the building and threaten them within an inch of their lives if he found anymore condoms.

Of course, the threats didn't work, and that evening as he was about to step into his shower, he realized that it was overflowing with glow-in-the-dark, neon green, x-small condoms. He had a helluva time explaining that one to Steph.

Despite the good natured ribbing, everything was perfect in Ranger's world. Well, almost perfect. He still had one more thing to do before he could feel completely satisfied.

He had tried to think of a way to propose to Stephanie all week, but so far he was coming up with nothing but dead ends. She was such an unique and amazing woman he wanted to make sure that she got the proposal she deserved.

Three days earlier he and Tank had flown into New York to pick out the ring. He wanted to get the best so he headed straight towards Tiffany's. The moment he saw the three-stoned platinum ring he knew that he had found the one. It was a beautiful ring that would do nothing but flatter the hand of his woman.

His woman, he thought. That was a concept he never thought he would once again think about. In the past, commitments had always seemed like too much work. But something about this simple girl from the Burg, caused his security walls to crumble and made him realize that he would be a fool if he didn't hang on to her with all his might.

Even his mother had agreed. _"Don't let this one get away." _She had said. Ranger smiled as he thought about how angry she had made Stephanie. He knew for sure he would be breaking up arguments between those two for many years to come. They were both headstrong, smart, stubborn, caring women that would stop at nothing to protect the ones they loved. Ranger knew that eventually each would realize that and respect the other for it. He just hoped he could keep up with them until they did.

"Mfgphf… pizza…good." Stephanie mumbled in her sleep.

Ranger's chest bounced softly as he laughed. He pulled her into his chest tighter as a small puddle of drool began to form on his skin directly under her mouth.

God, this woman made him happy. If only he could figure out a way to propose to her that would make her as excited as food did.

"Hmmm. Food." Ranger thought about it a little more. Then slowly his lips curled upwards into a mischievous grin.

It could work, he thought to himself. It might embarrass the crap out of him but it would be a small price to pay to see the surprise on her face. After he mentally worked out the details of his plan he slowly fell asleep.

------------------

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Eleven Days Later…

As sunlight slowly drifted through the curtains, Ranger opened his eyes. Today was the day.

He looked down at the naked figure beside him and shivered at the thought of his nervousness. _Everything has to go as planned_, he thought to himself.

He rolled out of bed gently, trying not to wake up Steph. After a few splashes of water to his face he retreated to the living room. After getting the coffee started he reached for his cell phone.

__

What?

"Well, good morning to you too sunshine." Ranger laughed into the phone.

__

Ranger? Christ man, do you have any idea what time it is?

Ranger glanced at his watch. "It's 6:32am. Get up Tank, it's time to start the day."

__

It's Saturday Ric! Why can't you sleep in like a normal human being.

"You know good and well why. Today's the day and I need to make sure that everything is in order."

__

Oh come on man. You've double checked everything 100 times. Nothing's going to go wrong. Well, at least as long as she says **yes**.

"Not funny."

__

Lighten up Ric. Everything's going to go as planned. Lula, Connie and Mary Lou will take care of everything.

"I know, I know. I guess I'm just nervous."

Tank laughed. _Well you should be. You're the dumbass that decided this would be a good idea. Everything's planned so it's too late to back out. Now go crawl back into bed with your woman then call me back when it's a decent hour. _Click.

Ranger ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He wouldn't be able to relax until tonight. At least then things would be settled once and for all.

After pouring a cup of coffee, Ranger walked onto the balcony of his apartment and stared out over the streets of Trenton. It was a beautiful morning. The birds were chirping, the sky was blue, and just when he thought it couldn't get better he heard the balcony door open. A few seconds later he felt her warm body lean against his.

He was wearing nothing but boxer shorts so when her bare arms snaked around his waist he got an instant flashback to the previous night's sex. She pressed her body against his and buried her head between his shoulder blades. She nuzzled her lips against his skin before asking, "What are you doing out here?"

He covered her arms with his and held her tight. "Just looking at what a beautiful day it's going to be. What about you?"

She sighed then lifted her head from his body. "I woke up and you weren't there. It made me wonder if you were starting to get tired of me." She smiled.

Ranger turned his body until they were facing one another. With a gentle fingertip under her chin he raised her mouth to his. When they parted he whispered, "Never."

He wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her tight. They remained silent as they stared at the city below.

"I wish I didn't have plans with the girls tonight. I would much rather stay here with you." She finally said.

Ranger smiled but turned his head so she couldn't see. "It's for the best. I've got a stakeout with Tank tonight so I wouldn't be here anyway.

Stephanie smiled then gave his boxers a tug. "Well then, I guess we better get started while we still can."

Ranger laughed as he reached down to remove Steph's hands from his shorts. She kept tugging on them trying to get them to inch lower but Ranger kept a firm grip. She grabbed another handful of the silky material and gave it a big yank. At the same moment, Ranger jerked them in the opposite direction and the force of both caused the material to rip. Stephanie stumbled backwards with a handful of silk and Ranger caught his balance just as the leftover fabric fell to the ground.

"Babe."

"Yes Ric." She said as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"You better run."

Stephanie squealed in delight as she ran from the balcony back into the apartment. Ranger gave her a few seconds head start then followed her indoors.

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At exactly 8:30 that night, Lula, Connie, Mary Lou and Stephanie pulled into the parking lot of a new club downtown.

"I can't believe you guys talked me into coming here." Stephanie said as they all crawled out of the car.

"Oh come on Steph, it's going to be great!" shouted Connie.

"Yeah, and just because you got a hottie at home doesn't mean you can't window shop," followed Lula.

"Yeah Steph. This is going to be awesome. The only man I've seen naked in the past 10 years is Lenny. I'm due a change of scenery." pleaded Mary Lou.

The foursome made their way into the club and were immediately assaulted by the loud, booming beat of the music. After going to the bar for a round of drinks they decided to head toward the stage to find a table.

"Let's sit in the back girls." Stephanie said, making it more of a question.

"No way! I want to be up close to them naked men." Shouted Lula.

"It doesn't matter anyway, the only free table is right at the stage." pointed Connie.

The foursome made their way through the crowd and settled into the table. After gossiping, people watching and sipping the drinks, Stephanie was suddenly feeling more relaxed. Although she would give her right arm to be back at home in bed with Ranger, she still loved her friends. She hadn't seen them in awhile so she was determined to make the best of the evening.

Suddenly, the lights in the club went black. Everyone in the crowd gasped and just as quickly a spotlight appeared on the stage. A moment later, a tall dark, and extremely muscular man strutted across the stage.

He stared out into the crowd, then suddenly ripped his shirt from his chest. Every woman in the room stood up and shouted. Hoots and hollers rang across the stage and suddenly Steph was getting into it as well. She glanced around at her three friends and noticed how much fun they were having. Stephanie burst into laughter when Lula started chanting, "Take it off… take it off…"

Just when the women could scream no more, the man raised his hands as if to ask for silence. The room stood still and the man lifted the microphone to his lips. "Are there in ladies in the house ready to get freakyyyyyyyyy?"

And just as quickly as the silence came, the thundering cheers appeared. Woman were jumping up and down, screaming, and Steph thought she even noticed a few women flashing the guy on stage.

"Oh yesssss.. Ladies you've come here on goooooood night." crooned the half naked announcer. "We need to get this party started, and I have just the man to help. He's got a great big hose and he knows exactly how to use it! Ladies, put your hands together for the hot, sexyyyyyy… Fireman Bobbbbbb!"

The beat of the music changed quickly. _Bomp-chika-bow-wow_

Once again the room exploded with feminine screams.

-----------------------

An hour later and several dollars poorer Steph and the gang were officially have a great time.

"This is awesome!" Yelled Mary Lou as she watched the last dancer strut off stage.

"I had no idea this would be so much fun." agreed Stephanie.

So far they had watched 6 dancers; Fireman Bob, Cowboy Dave, Parole Officer Cliff, Caveman Steve, Biker Mark and Doctor Jeff.

"Sit tight ladies, I'm going to go get us another round." said Lula as she rose from the table and made her way to the back of the club.

Just as she returned, the lights were once again lowered. The sexy announcer quickly found the spotlight.

"Alright ladies. This next performer is making is dancing debut right here on this stage tonight!"

The crowd screamed in delight.

"Now, he's a little nervous so we need to be extra nice to this one. And to help him feel more comfortable we need to get a volunteer to come up on stage and give us a hand."

Everyone in the room jumped to their feet. Everyone, that is expect Stephanie.

"How about you little lady." The announcer said as he pointed directly to Stephanie. The spotlight jerked away from the stage and highlighted her brown curls.

"Umm… I.. Don't think so…" she stuttered. But by the time the words were out of her mouth, Connie, Lula, and Mary Lou were lifting her from her chair and ushering her on stage.

The announcer grabbed her arm and lead her to a chair in the center of the spotlight.

"Now don't you worry about a thing missy, because our in-house Chef has agreed to take very, very good care of you."

The lights dropped from the stage and Stephanie was left all alone in the dark. She could hear something being pushed towards her but she couldn't make it out. The sudden change in going from the spotlight to the darkness had temporarily blinded her.

The music started slow at first, then suddenly Steph recognized the song.

__

"Take you to the candy shop

I'll let you lick the lollypop

Go 'head girl, don't you stop

Keep goin 'til you hit the spot"

Just as she heard Lula scream, "Go Steph, Go Steph!" the lights came alive on stage.

That's when Stephanie saw it. A giant cupcake. It was taller than she was, bigger around than Lula and covered in something that looked very much like chocolate icing. Just as she was about to slide her finger across the side of it, the music cranked up and the top of the cupcake burst open.

Startled, Stephanie jumped backwards and nearly fell off the chair. When the smoke and confetti from the cupcake had cleared she could see the backside of a very, very sexy man staring out over the crowd. From what she could tell the only thing he was wearing was a starched, white apron and a huge Chef's hat.

When she took a closer look, she thought for a moment that she recognized the dimples on the very firm ass attached to the chef. "It couldn't be." She said to herself.

But it was. The man threw his leg over the side of the cupcake and made his way towards Stephanie. When he finally stepped in front of the spotlight she could see his face for the first time. Ranger.

What the hell was Ranger doing in a strip club?

She couldn't make sense of what she was seeing. But he didn't give her any time to think about it, because before she realized what was happening, he was running his hands up and down her arms, gyrating his hips, and hovering over her lap making swift humping movements.

Her hands instinctively reached up for his arms and he quickly took a step back.

"Nuh huh. No touching the talent." He said as he gave her a wink then twirled back around toward the crowd.

She sat in the chair frozen from shock. Ranger strutted around the stage, playing up to the crowd and dancing his ass off to the music. At one point, he reached up, grabbed the hat and flung it into the audience. Several women in the crowd immediately started fighting over it.

As the song finally came to an end, Ranger returned to the cake. He ran his finger across the icing and walked back toward Stephanie. He didn't speak, instead he merely ran his icing covered finger across her lips.

The heat between the pair flared quickly. She took his finger into her mouth and eagerly sucked him clean.

Just as they both began to forget they were in front of a huge crowd of screaming women they were joined on stage by the announcer. He approached them quietly, handed Ranger the microphone then once again disappeared.

"What's going on Ranger." Stephanie whispered.

Ranger just smiled then raised the mike to his lips. "Ladies, I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, but I have something very important to do."

Stephanie nearly fainted when he reached into the pocket of his apron and pulled out a small, velvety box. He leaned forward and kneeled on one leg.

Everyone in the audience jumped up and began cheering wildly. After giving them a moment to calm down, Ranger once again spoke.

"Babe, I know I may never be able to excite you the way a good pastry does, but if you give me the chance I'd love to spend the rest of my life trying."

Stephanie slapped her hands over her mouth as her face flooded with tears.

Ranger reached out and took her hand. "Stephanie Plum, will you marry me?"

The crowd went silent as they waited for her answer and they didn't have to wait long. Within seconds, Stephanie jumped out of the chair and into Ranger's waiting arms. "God yes Ranger! Yes I'll marry you!"

Once again, the club was filled with the screams of a hundred women.

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Eleven Hours Later…

"I can't believe you did that." Stephanie laughed. Her and Ranger were tangled among the sheets on the bed in her apartment. Ranger's head was laying on her stomach and his eyes were gazing upon her face. She reached down and brushed a stray hair behind his ear.

"I just wanted to make sure I got your attention babe."

Stephanie laughed again. "Oh, well you definitely did. You also got the attention of several other women as well."

Ranger rolled over and crawled his way up the bed toward her. When his lips were inches from hers he said, "There were other women there? Because honestly I didn't notice."

Stephanie smacked him playfully, wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his face to hers for the deepest kiss she could conjure.

When they pulled away a smile crossed her face and she asked, "Any chance you still have that sexy apron?"

Ranger's eyes darkened with desire and Stephanie knew that apron or not, they were about to have a good time.

The End

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Thanks to EVERYONE for all of the wonderful feedback you have given me about this story. I've truly loved writing this version of Steph and Ranger. In fact, I love it so much I'm going to continue… So stay tuned for more in the sequel called: WHITE WEDDING


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